Manhattan Home Design Reviews. Biomorphism is one of the oldest aesthetic and artistic trends in human history. However, it wasn’t known by that name until almost the middle of the twentieth century, when the British poet Geoffrey Grigson and later Alfred H. Barr coined it in 1936. Its concept is based on the design of physical objects whose characteristics emulate the structures and shapes of organisms present in nature. This makes it a very appealing trend as it has spawned a whole constellation of diverse designs that are part of this movement and have been making it popular over the decades. In this article from Manhattan Home Design Reviews, you’ll discover why the Womb Chair And Otto Red Cashmere, and other MCM designs are valid references to explain this aesthetic phenomenon.
Since the origin of humanity, the first men were inspired by the designs of nature to create their first objects, weapons, and crafts. Later, this would be a constant in almost all manifestations of design. It’s well known that even Leonardo Da Vinci used biomorphic designs as inspiration to develop the plans for his machines. Just as primitive men managed to get inspiration from these models, the great designers of the Mid-Century Modern style also managed to give these aesthetics to many of their most important creations, always taking the features of the organic as a source of inspiration.
With new MCM trends, the world quickly and easily got used to these aesthetics. Pieces like the Saarinen’s Womb Chair would arrive to transform in a very important and transcendental way the preconceived schemes that were had in terms of modern chair design. Some other pieces, such as the Noguchi table or the Shell Chair, would reinforce this trend of curved lines and smooth contours.
What Is Being “Biomorphic”?
In the case of the Eero Saarinen Womb Chair, it’s believed that the Finnish creator assigned that name to the piece as a way of alluding to the “womb” in which the user would feel being in such a cozy chair, capable of surrounding and cradling them completely.
Features such as aerodynamics, curved lines, asymmetrical silhouettes, a sensation of movement, and certain technical properties make a piece a biomorphic design. During the twentieth century, the trend gained so much recognition and acceptance that it even had a lot of importance in the world of means of transport, and planes and trains began to appear that took certain characteristics of birds and other species to develop faster and more aerodynamic machines. However, it’s important to clarify that biomorphism doesn’t necessarily consist in making exact copies of natural models, but rather taking inspiration from their forms to take advantage of the properties they can provide. Some biomorphic objects are thought and made solely for decorative purposes.
Some design analysts have associated biomorphism with some other trends such as surrealism. Some of these designs are noted for presenting proposals that suggest new ways of life and emulate those already known, giving them an atmosphere that contrasts in a very interesting way with the known world. Even in the world of painting, biomorphism has gained space for participation. Such is the case of Yves Tanguy and Roberto Matta, who presented this aesthetic in their paintings.
Imagine the advantages of filling your layout with many biomorphic designs. Marking originality and good taste is always something you can achieve in many ways, and this trend is an excellent starting point for it. Discover the interesting thing about biomorphism through the most amazing designs that have been created and give a new spirit to your compartments.