CORINNA NICOLE | Studio 118
PAINTING
Corinna Nicole’s art is inspired by the mesmerizing movements of Starling swarms, or Murmurations. Starling birds travel in groups of hundreds and thousands, shapeshifting every few seconds while innately avoiding collision with one another. This remarkable spectacle, a synchronous performative dance, is actually the flock’s way of protecting itself from predators.
Scientists believe that each Starling shadows its seven closest neighbors, which is how they’re able to move in unison. There is something powerful in that idea of how we relate to and are influenced by others. Corinna’s fascination with Murmurations began in 2012, and she’s been making swarm art ever since.
Corinna primarily uses one of two techniques to create the swarms in her art. Either by stippling, in which Corinna creates a range of values through small dots using only a pen, or by tapping two paint brushes together, in which she builds up layers and layers of dots through a controlled splatter. Both of these processes put her in a zen state-of-mind helping Corinna to form the swarm shapes in an intuitive manner. Corinna hopes for her art to evoke feelings of connection, movement, and awe.
Corinna Nicole received her B.A. in Art at the University of Montevallo in 2008, and in 2011 Corinna completed her M.F.A. in Art Practice at UC Berkeley. Corinna has been a member of the Women’s Caucus for Art since 2016 and in October 2020 Corinna became the Communications Lead for the Alabama chapter.