DALEK: "SKATE MONKEY"

James Marshall, better known as Dalek, is an American painter best known for his Space Monkey character. He is also known for his photography, murals and illustrations.

First rendered on a wall in Connecticut in 1995, the Space Monkey that has become synonymous with his name grew and evolved from Marshall’s love for Japanese pop culture, the “vibe” of the punk scene, street art and cartoons. Marshall maintains that the Space Monkey is not a monkey at all, but a mouse - his concept of a human being lost in a growing sea of technology and convenience. Space Monkey became Dalek’s alter ego, a medium through which he expressed his emotions, ideas and concerns.

He has always been engaged in skateboard and graffiti subcultures, and Dalek cites his two-year assistantship in the studio of controversial Japanese artist Takashi Murakami as a formative experience.