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Marilyn Church – The Art of Justice
J.Z. Holden
archive article, added 06/13/2006 | |
 
Martha Stewart |
During the most sensational crimes of the century, barring a select few, judges often choose to keep the public at bay, by refusing to allow television cameras in to record the proceedings. The result is that print and television journalists must still tell their stories each day, but the visuals are left to courtroom artists like Marilyn Church. Ms. Church is a resident of East Hampton and the undisputed leader in her field. She is an artist who has captured an extraordinary two decades worth of bad guys with her quick and perceptive talent. Bad guys and girls like Jean Harris, John Gotti, Bernard Goetz, Woody Allen, Robert Chambers, and Martha Stewart. For over twenty years, Ms. Church had the opportunity to work alongside television journalist and multiple Emmy Award Winner, Lou Young, at WABC-TV. The result is a spectacular book called The Art of Justice.
Jean Harris |
During a telephone interview this past Saturday, Ms. Church spoke about the trials that left the greatest impression upon her: “I identified with Jean Harris, as any woman would,” said Ms. Church, “hers was a very passionate crime committed by a woman who you just couldn’t imagine…she was so prim, so conservative, always appearing in her Chanel suit and pearls.
"I remember cringing at her most humiliating moments. I could see that something had snapped in her. She tore up his [Dr. Tarnower’s] mistress’ clothes.
“And then, I actually covered the trial twice; once during the actual trial, and then again for the made for TV movie. I played the courtroom artist and was a consultant for the production. The trial lasted two months, and then there was another two months of shooting.”
John Gotti |
But there were other trials that the artist found equally thrilling. Ms. Church remembers John Gotti as “the most evil person who ever lived, other than Osama.” Perhaps it is because she is a visual artist, but she speaks about the visuals of the trial as if she were reporting it from the scene. “His family always sat in the front row. He was larger than life. Up until that moment he had managed to elude the law. That is until his underboss turned against him.”
Surprisingly, there were moments during that trial when Gotti actually made contact with Ms. Church. “Gotti tried to intimidate me,” said the artist, “he took a great interest in how the press portrayed him. He was always turned out in his Armani suits with his hair blown out and back, he exuded charisma. I saw him as terrifying. I used to watch him through binoculars. And one day he wagged his finger at me and pointed to his neck. I had been drawing his fat neck, and he didn’t like it. He was always trying to control everything.”
Robert Chambers |
A crime that chilled New Yorkers in the 80’s was called The Preppie Killing, and the press labeled Robert Chambers “the preppie killer”. Chambers attended The Dwight School, a prep school on the Upper East side of Manhattan. He came from a privileged background and he was tall and good-looking. It began at a local hangout, where minors were served alcohol. At one point in the evening, Robert Chambers and a female fellow classmate left and went to Central Park where they had “rough” sex. The “rough” sex killed her. Afterwards, on a home video, and later for all of America to see, Chambers bragged about killing his victim. “Robert Chambers was perceived as handsome, and he was very tall, 6’4”,” said Ms. Church, “but he never showed remorse, and it gave me nightmares. When you can identify with the victim, and I also have a son his age, it hits closer to home. I never saw him as handsome, I saw him as creepy.”
Woody Allen and Mia Farrow |
But one of the most scandalous divorces was the one between Woody Allen and Mia Farrow. The divorce was precipitated by Mia Farrow finding erotic photographs of their adopted daughter Soon-Yi, taken by her adoptive father Woody Allen. The photos became the central evidence in a trial focused on betrayal and child molestation. “Woody Allen sat in the courtroom like an expressionless nerd,” said Ms. Church, “meanwhile, Mia Farrow was glaring at him the whole time. He only livened up when he took the stand.” Then with a dismissive laugh she said, “They’re both actors, and you don’t know what to believe. The trial was like a plot out of one of his movies.”
 Like many creative children, the book was not an instant success. East Hampton resident and literary agent Philip Spitzer tried unsuccessfully to sell the book for twelve years. Then one day, a publisher saw Ms. Church’s work on her website and offered her a book deal. Because television journalist Lou Young and courtroom artist Marilyn Church had had such a successful and congenial working relationship, covering many of the same trials together. It seemed natural for them to collaborate once again, with Mr. Young writing the trial summaries as the accompanying text to 120 of Ms. Church’s color portraits of the infamous dramas as they unfolded in the courtroom.
Ms. Church’s work can be seen on her website, www.marilynchurch.com as well at the Bernaducci.Meisel Gallery, 37 West 57 Street, in New York City. And the book, “The Art of Justice”, is published by Quirk Books, and can be purchased at www.quirkbooks.com.
All images are the property of Marilyn Church, reproduced with permission.
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