Jean (Hans) Arp, Growth, 1938/60, 1965.357

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Jean (Hans) Arp, a French artist born in Germany's Alsace region, came into being in 1886 and left his mark until 1966. Growth, a work from the year 1938/60, is a prime example of Arp's mastery over biomorphism. This sculpture measures 43 x 17 1/2 x 11 inches (109 x 44.5 x 28 cm) in white marble and is part of Grant J. Pick Purchase Fund, with an accession number of 1965.357. Arp played a significant role in developing the organic language of biomorphism, which infused Surrealism with forms alluding to growth, fecundity, and the natural world. In the early 1930s, Arp shifted his style from abstract to three-dimensional sculptures, focusing on the metamorphosis process in art. Arp often created his sculptures first in plaster, a medium that responded well to touch and allowed for the element of chance in the creative process, before translating them into editions in different media, often bronze. This sculpture is an enlarged version of Arp's original plaster work, with its hard, bonelike appearance emphasizing the human, torsolike forms of Growth. The artwork can be viewed online at http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/23365?search_no=2&index=16.