Marcia Middleton

The potencies of nature, especially environments invisible to the naked eye, intrigue me. This recent series of paintings is based on the swimming world locked in a drop of pond water: zooplankton bouncing off one another, and the potential and kinetic energy harbored in this tiny environment. The scale shifts from microscopic to tangible. It’s the intersection of the natural and the imaginary. Abstracted protozoa shapes jostle, float and grow in their own fluid world. The cells and simple pleuteus creatures are vessels with permeable and semi-permeable membranes. The membranes can be fragile drawings or substantial containers surrounding solid forms. I’m captivated by gesture investigations of these quasi-biological forms and their evocative energy. I like to think of this environment as a teaming primordial soup with endless potential for positive growth.