Ebru and the Echo of the Modern Masters
Ebru d’Oeil (Marbling of the Eye) by Ralph Kerle
In the shimmering heart of Dubai Marina, I captured this image—an abstract reflection dancing on the surface of the water. At first glance, it might be easy to see this as digital abstraction or a computer-generated pattern. But it’s not. It’s a pure photographic moment, a living canvas created by light, architecture, and water in spontaneous collaboration.
What struck me most in the final image was its uncanny resemblance to Ebru, the ancient Turkish art of marbling, where pigments float on water before being transferred to paper. The fluidity, the line work, the sense of motion locked into stillness—all seemed to emerge from that same ancient tradition. And yet, it was created entirely by the natural interplay of light and ripple, a choreography I merely observed and captured.
Looking at the final work, I couldn't help but be reminded of the Modern Masters—in particular, Victor Vasarely, with his optical illusions and pulsating geometry; and Bridget Riley, whose lines and colors throb with energy and tension. This image shares their visual language, but the lines here are alive, unruly, born of water—not of the ruler or brush. There’s also a whisper of Paul Klee in its musicality and cartographic rhythm, and something faintly Escher-esque in how spatial logic is bent and reimagined.
This work is part of my ongoing fascination with water as both medium and message—where reflection becomes abstraction, and abstraction becomes a mirror to our inner states. I'm especially intrigued by how reflections on water capture the essence of the culture and geography that surround them. In a place like Dubai, a city of hypermodern forms rising from the desert, the presence of such ancient echoes within its water feels especially poignant.
Here, the water doesn’t just reflect—it remembers. Imagine this profound interplay of culture, geography, and abstract beauty adding depth and resonance to your own living space.
