MARION –- Audiences got a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creative process of artist John Magnan at a lecture by the Mattapoisett artist at the Marion Art Center on Feb. 27. From creating realistic book pages out of the growth rings of a tree, to recreating the eelgrass found in Buzzards Bay, Magnan showed attendees the direction and breadth of his second career.

Magnan, whose exhibition “Thor’s Hammer” is on display at the Art Center, has used his work to give back to lesser-known communities.

From creating wood sculptures for the SouthCoast Center for Cancer Care to a touring exhibition on economic inequalities (which Magnan calls “class struggle”) his art covers an array of topics that reflect and highlight the glossed-over parts of society.

Raised in New Haven, Connecticut, Magnan grew up in a do-it-yourself family. As a result, he said he “had no choice but to build all the time.” 

He studied mathematics in college, where he was recruited to work for the National Security Agency. After a 25-year career, he retired in 1994 and began his now 25-year career in woodwork at the Maryland Institute, College of Arts and eventually in the MFA sculpting program at UMass Dartmouth.

His career took off after CBS Sunday Morning featured Magnan’s work in 2003, and he said his “email inbox exploded” after the segment aired. 

Many of the recent pieces that Magnan highlighted in the lecture focus on raising awareness for causes. 

At annual arts and film festival SXSW in 2017, Magnan unveiled one of three pieces created for his exhibition, “Hero’s Journey.” Created in collaboration with pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, the pieces sought to honor those who participate in clinical trials by building an art piece out of bricks inscribed with their names. 

A site-specific piece outside the Buzzards Bay Coalition headquarters in New Bedford represents a plant that forms a vital part of its ecosystem. 

“Thor’s Hammer,”  uses Marvel stories as a vehicle for social commentary.

The titular sculpture was originally made as a simple recreation of Thor’s hammer. But Magnan began to think about the weapon as a gavel around the time of the hearings of Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh.

When he made this connection, he said to himself, “well you know, I got some other stuff I want to say,” and began to research online databases for Marvel stories and characters that related to certain issues he wanted to address.

The result is a display of woodwork that comments on anything from gender inequality to immigration and the military-industrial complex.

“Thor’s Hammer” is on-display at the Marion Art Center until March 28.