Fluid beauty in the dance of physics

Biomorphic, organic-looking forms appear in the delicate ink artworks of Nina Temple. They could almost be mistaken for strange creatures from distant planets or unknown life forms from the depths of the ocean. It would be equally easy to believe the artist if she claimed to have depicted cell structures under the microscope. In fact, the fluid structures are the result of controlled randomness in the struggle of physical processes. Temple begins her works with a large drop of water on the paper, which she deforms, expands, pushes back and shifts until its outlines take on a shape that is both tense and balanced, becoming the basic form of her composition. She then adds ink to this film of water, combining not only different colours but also different types of ink, which, due to their chemical structure, sometimes combine harmoniously and in other cases appear to separate strictly. The result thus has elements that emerge by chance as the water dries, revealing the final image on the paper.

It is no coincidence, however, that the forms in the ink works of the artist, who lives in Carmel Valley, California, are reminiscent of complex structures from nature. Temple consciously uses the biomorphic formal language to visualise abstract ideas of beauty and harmony, the movement of a dance or the sound of music. She dispenses with rational principles of construction, relying on the dynamics and spontaneity of nature in both craftsmanship and composition. It is therefore not surprising that she counts representatives of organic abstraction such as Miró and Kandinsky among the artists who have significantly influenced her and inspired her work, which has already been shown in numerous museum exhibitions, most recently in a solo exhibition at Marin MOCA.

More about the artist: Nina Temple's artist page