Steven Temple was born in Sheldon, Illinois and raised on a farm. After high school Temple served in the U.S. Navy from 1967 to 1970 and spent twenty-two months on a combat tour in Vietnam from 1968 to 1970. He has been married for thirty-six years with one child and now resides in Vallejo, California. Temple attended Missouri Western University and Cal State University at Hayward, receiving a BA in Art/Art History as well as a Masters degree from San Francisco State University. Temple has been a High School Art teacher since 1979 and at present works in the West Contra Costa Unified School District in Richmond, California. Temple has had exhibitions of work various competitions and galleries in the United States.  

Art has served as a historical record of events, religion, culture, and personal observation since man discovered his existence and being. The art that was left for us to study and the art that is produced today all have one thing in common: they are visual records and an individual look into our lives as a civilization.

My art works have been reviewed as "Modern Cubism" and I gladly accept that label. The cubist movement did more to influence art than any movement before its conception. The Cubist artists looked at image, surface, medium and common, everyday material to get their message across to the viewer. They felt that experimentation in art should have no boundaries and that the artist should include their best skills in the attempt.

An artist tries to include in their work a personal message from which they have an unique experience. My work deals mostly with my 22 months of Vietnam combat duty from 1968 to 1970 and daily events that I find profoundly influential in my life. I use figurative images with collage material of interest with varying mediums. Colored pencils, acrylic paint, watercolor, air brush, and found objects make up the medium. The images are in flux as some are transparent and some are solid. The visual theme of each piece is in a constant state as I use the images of the colorful medals and ribbons I was awarded in Vietnam. I try to use visual images and technique to lure the viewer into a closer examination of the work and in the investigation read the material that has been attached to the work. My aim is to motivate and educate the viewer while giving them a pleasant viewing experience. I attempt to leave the viewer a new experience in revisiting circumstances that have shaped their daily lives.