Biomorphic Paintings

Cover Artwork: "Biomorphic Heart" by 11th Grade Student

Biomorphism derives from the Greek words "bios" (life) and "morphe" (form). Artists inspired by the natural sciences such as Biology, Geology, Zoology, Botany or even Microbiology represent living organisms in their artwork.

My high school students looked at examples of biomorphic subjects from art history and contemporary artists while developing their ideas for biomorphic paintings.

As my students were considering their subjects, they had to develop a composition with a macro micro focus for an extreme close up.

The inspiration for this project came from the work of Georgia O'Keefe, who is known as the "Mother of American Modernism" for painting her emotions through the shapes and rhythms of nature instead of reproducing reality in the tradition of European masters.

O'Keeffe enjoyed wandering on hikes collecting interesting subjects that she studied with close observation, focusing on the most minute details. Her favorite subjects were the New Mexico landscapes, New York skyscrapers, and enlarged flowers using dramatic colors and abstract close-ups.

As the students studied Georgia O'Keeffe, we also analyzed images of her artwork in a class critique. This was followed by written student reflections in their sketchbooks.

O'Keeffe's artwork demonstrates her mastery of essential elements of art-making with line, color, and composition. Vibrant colors push the boundaries with lines running off the edge of the canvas while visually engaging forms seem to float, frozen in time. My students drafted a series of sketches focusing on one aspect of a visual source that they enlarged to fill the space of their paper.

Their subjects varied on student interest and chosen color palettes but each artist brought a certain level of meticulous observation to painting a living organism.

"Gemsbok," by 11th Grade Student and "Wild Mushroom" by 10th Grade Student

"The Corpse Flower," by 10th Grade Student

Artist Statement: I painted a close up shot of a Raflessia; often called the corpse flower. This flower has a beautiful red color, spotted with white. This flower emits a ‘corpse’ like aroma that attracts flies and beetles. I think this flower is really interesting, so I decided to paint it. I also liked how these flowers are only particularly a red-orange color, making it monochromatic.

"Octopus," by 10th Grade Student

"The Buck," by 11th Grade Student and "Pink Petals," by 12th Grade Student

"Jellyfish," by 11th Grade Student

Artist Statement: My artwork is a mix of warm and cool colors. I used complementary colors of orange and blue to show the contrasting beauty of the tentacles with a back background to make my subject stand out more. My goal was to make this painting as bright and colorful as I could with harmonious colors. I spent a lot of time mixing different colors to create this composition. It was worth it because I love how the colors pop out.

"The Conch of the Sea," by 10th Grade Student

Artist Statement: I wanted to develop a color scheme that I don't normally use in this painting. I've always been inspired by mollusks and organisms from the sea, so when biomorphism was brought up for discussion, it was the first thing that came to mind to paint.