A little background first on Biophilic Design and why it matters. The principles of Biophilic Design as outlined in the Terrapin Bright Green website include 14 patterns of Biophilic design. The Terrapin paper provides a foundation for exploring the role of nature in our built environments and the benefit to human health. These 14 patterns are categorized into 3 sections: Nature in Space, Nature Analogues, and Nature Of the Space. All of them are effective ways to incorporate nature into our homes but it is the second section, Nature Analogues, that I find really intriguing and it has much to do with the subject of this post, Biophilia and Abstract Art.
Below is just one of the options of an abstract design I just completed while working on a Spoonflower project, a print on demand site for independent artists. The assignment was to create a pattern suitable for Abstract Animal Print Curtains. I normally try to render objects in nature in a whimsical way but my motifs are realistic too so this was a bit of departure and a stretch for me. So much so that I missed the deadline for submission as I really didn’t feel it was ready to go just quite yet. Getting to this design was a great exercise in growth of my work though and I believe it taught me a lot about how our relationship to shapes, colors, and texture is so much more than the realistic representation we see. Nature Analogues provide some insight into how we are hardwired to evoke certain emotions to specific elements in nature, namely shapes, colors, and textures. This, I now believe, is a key concept of the appeal of Animal Abstract Art ,more broadly, Abstract Nature Art and specifically, Biophilic Abstract Nature Art.
Photo by Badalucco Design Studio Blue Leopard Abstract
What Are Nature Analogues?
Nature Analogues are those elements that are representative of nature. It can include the patterns we see in nature such as a honeycomb or leopard spots, tiger stripes, and other markings on the flora and fauna found in the natural world. It can be the color we associate with the earth, sky, sea, etc. It can also be the form and symmetry of a seashell, petals of a flower, or branch formation of a tree. These are just the tip of the iceberg but you get the idea.
Biomorphic Forms in Nature
While our brain knows that biomorphic forms and patterns are not living things, we may describe them as symbolic representations of life (Vessel, 2012).
Terrapin Bright Green
Recognizing these forms and patterns, can be just as effectively displayed in Abstract Art as in Representational Art. Sometimes it can even be more effectively conveyed once the constraints to depict realistic representation is removed. For example, my project above started with the spots of a leopard. My first attempt at pattern was to depict the spots in a realistic way on a color palette of gold, black, and white. I also thought this would be placed on leopard forms. As I began to separate the idea of realism, other possibilities came to light. Shapes, textures, and colors could be combined in new ways while retaining their biomorphic forms.
Material Connection to Nature
Abstract art can also make use of the material connection to nature. This includes pattern designs like that shown above which are meant to be printed on fabrics.Textiles selected for printing patterns are an important way to enhance that Biophilic impact. Linen, flax, cotton, and wool are all examples of excellent natural textile choices for Biophilic design in home decor.
Real materials are preferred over synthetic variations because human receptors can tell the difference between real and synthetic, so minimally processed materials from real nature are preferred whenever possible.
Terrapin Bright Green
Complexity and Order
Complexity and order still apply to art that is Abstract. The golden ratio, the rule of thirds, and many more rules of composition are rooted in nature. There are times when all of the rules of order and complexity may be broken though. In this article titled A Comprehensive Guide to Composition for Artists, the author points to two questions to ask when creating art. What do I want to say? and How am I going to say it? Abstract art, and especially abstract art depicting nature, takes advantage of these two questions and is free to select and discard some of the rules that might be needed for representational art. In this regard, Abstract Art may be able to elicit a more visceral response to nature. Abstract Art provides a unique opportunity in Biophilic Design.
Realistic Vs. Abstract Forms in Nature
So we know that analogue forms are effective in Biophilic Design but most of the ways in which we think of how that can be use is with realistic representation. For example, a scene of trees in the woods, a painting of a bouquet of flowers are both examples. Use of natural materials including wood, natural stone, and textiles. What is newer are analogue forms depicted in Abstract Art. As discussed above Abstract Art can be Biophilic as well and may even be more effective due to the ability to separate all of our references to what “belongs together” creating a new way of connecting us to all that is available for us to tap into those connections and familiarity in complex ways.
Examples of Abstract Nature Art
While I don’t see many artists specializing in Biophilic Abstract Art yet there are a few and their numbers are growing. Here are a few that I found who are doing work that is interesting and worth exploring. I found Jill Lear’s work on the Hidell Brooks Gallery Website. Hidell Brooks Gallery is based in Charlotte, North Carolina and features emerging artists as well as established artists work. Jill is described as a “painter whose primary subject and inspiration are trees in the landscape as a means of transcribing not only the experience of being in, and thinking about nature but also the way in which we process the world around us.” This is one of her works.
Amanda Talley is another artist featured in the gallery and in her own words “painting, for me, is about translating the activity and movement of the outside world into a vocabulary of paint and line. light, color, and energy are reflected in a fractured window view of the underside of a live oak or in the curls and folds of an elephant ear.”
This is a great example of how abstract art can provide a way to experience nature and benefit from nature analogues in a non representational way with every bit of the emotion we derive from representative works.
The following examples of Biophilic Abstract Art are by Eleni Smolen and featured on her website. She actually refers to one page as her Biophilic Beginnings. There is more on her website about her journey as a Biophilic Artist in which she describes the inspiration working from a farmhouse in the dense woodland terrain of the countryside after shifting from urban New York. I always find it fascinating to read about the artists thoughts, inspiration, and process. I think these two paintings are great examples of how Abstract Art and Biophilia are connected. Artwork provides a really great opportunity to add Biophilic elements, including abstract artwork, that makes our home environment more reflective of the colors, forms, and textures that bring us wellness benefits beyond their beauty. To learn more about her work here is link to her bio on the website.
Image Link to ” Forest Song Book” by Eleni Smolen
Conclusion
Styles and composition in the new world of Abstract Biophilic Art are varied and subject to personal taste. The thread of commonality is the ability to evoke emotion and awaken our connection to nature in new and inspiring ways.
If you enjoyed this article and would like to become part of our community please consider joining our mailing list. I have been a part of the design community for most of my career in various roles ranging from buyer, designer, to sales. I left the rat race about a year ago and I now work as an independent surface pattern designer specializing in Biophilic Design and Art. As such, my work sometimes sparks ideas for blog posts based upon my experience as did this one . Just as often my research on Biophilic Design and the wonder of the natural world inspires my work.
If you have a topic you would like to see discussed in the world of Biophilic Design, I would love to hear from you!