Biomorphic
About
The category of biomorphic art is large and diverse, drawing connections between nature-inspired objects across time periods and geographies. In a 1936 catalogue for the Museum of Modern Art, museum director Alfred H. Barr coined the term biomorphism to describe the trend of “curvilinear,” “decorative,” and “romantic” forms in abstract art. These artworks drew upon the organic shapes of plants and animals, rejecting the rigid structures of geometric abstraction in favor of something much more free-flowing. Icons of biomorphism include the sinuous Art Nouveau structures of Antoni Gaudí and Hector Guimard, the [Surrealist](/gene/surrealism] dreamscapes of Joan Miró and Yves Tanguy, the rounded sculptures of Henry Moore and [Barbara Hepworth](/artist/barbara-hepworth], and the sweeping architectural forms of Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry.
