In “Biophilia” (literally, attracted to the living), Andrew Millner explores in painstaking detail the wondrous contours of living things. He investigates the endless, sinuous shapes of leaves, tree and plants, reducing them to their outlines. Manet famously said, “there are no lines in nature.” This notion is belied by Millner’s exquisite work. Indeed, he sees nature exclusively in terms of lines, and his hand steadfastly follows and records the endless variety of botanical forms in his view.

Millner hand-draws his original works on a computer using a pen and an electronic tablet. Later they are printed as part of a whole garden or as a stand-alone print. The digital media allows the drawing to extend over months, and in the garden’s case, possibly years, without any set scale or date of completion. To Millner the garden is an ongoing work that can be added to indefinitely, seasonally.

Each elegant piece in “Biophilia” captures the unique form of a different species of botanica, including, among others, Cottonwood, Cherry, Magnolia, Poppy and Chamomile. As Millner states, “the closer one gets to these works, the more one can see. The tops of the trees are as visible as the bottoms; the back branches are as visible as the front. The drawing exists at no set scale, line weight or color. It is a pure act of drawing, evoking a mental map of the natural world in some of its most humble and underappreciated typologies.”

Andrew Millner received his BFA in Painting and Sculpture from the University of Michigan. His work has sold into private and corporate collections across the country. “Biophilia” at Tria Gallery will mark his tenth solo exhibition, and his first in New York City.