Geometry versus the organic form in art                                                  Home

In many works of art we can see organic forms, that is to say, round forms and flowing lines, contrasting with geometrical forms. Sometimes this seems to be an accidental effect, for instance when sculptures were placed in an architectural context...

...or with figures in a stained glass window...

With these examples we often see that the contrast between the organic form and the geometrical framework has been softened, either by making the organic form more geometrical (stiff draperies etc) or by working on the stone or framework to make it more organic. But even here we see that the artists have realised the symbolic and expressive possibilities of these more or less accidental circumstances. The stiffness of the figures gives them more dignity. They seem relieved from their organic, that is fysical, bounderies, and have become closer to the eternal en ideal world of geometry. In the modified architecture at the other hand, which has become more organic around the figures, the cold and motionless geometry has been bent to become more lifely. From these examples I believe we can learn the principal contradictory values that over time have been attrbuted to the geometric and the organic.

Organic: vulnerable, living, chaotic, soft, warm, moving, surprising, imperfect

Geometrical: harmonious, pure, perfect, eternal, cold, motionless, factual truth

I believe all these possible interpretations come early in Western art history together in a strong image, that has fascinated bilions of people for thousands of year: jesus on the cross.

With this image the contrast between the organic and the geometrical is almost never softened, to the contrary, it has been used most effectively. Conscious or subconsciouly it raises al sort of questions, espescially in the modern mind, like: how far can we stretch ourselves to comply to ideals? Should we just let our body free? Is perfect harmony an illusion, like religion? Are we to weak to live with ideals or factual truth? Is factual truth, perfection, actually something that kills life?

Before I disscuss more examples, let me explain what I meant when I said ''factual truth.'' I mean scientific truth, as opposed to emotional and moral truth, but also: every truth that we have difficulty to relate to as fysical, emotional beings. When we are left alone by someone we love, it hurts, but it is not the relationship with that other human being that is the root source of our pain. Humans need eachother because otherwise they are left alone in the unhuman world -the hard world of factual truth, the universe that nows no compassion or social rules, only the rules of physics and mathematics. This unhuman universe can be seen as (or symbolized by) the geometric world. It can be seen as harmonious en beautiful and impressive, but essentially it doesn't need us and doesn't care about us. We, at the other hand, do need the universe badly, and that is why we have this complicated love-hate relationship with geometry.

Consider this painting:

One of the sad aspects of city life is that although it is a world created by and for humans, it often seems as unhuman as a deserted planet. The geometric forms of the buildings seem to symbolize this: repetitive, cold, much bigger than us, they don't seem to be there for us, and if we want to be welcomed by them, to enter, we always have to make sacrifices. We have to work, to buy, to pay rent. Our city buildings are like God: demanding order, discipline, conformity, and giving protection and peace in return. So here we see how not just universal alienation, but also social alienation, immediately gets the shape of geometry. The pictures of Andreas Gursky are famous for this view on society.

Talking about order and peace: sometimes artists don't reflect on the qualities of geometry, they just use these qualities to organise the composition of a painting, to attract viewers with harmony and symmetrie to tell whatever story they want to tell. But as we are used to interprete all formal aspects of an artwork, it is difficult to ignore the symbolic and expressive meaning of the geometry and its effect on the content of the story.