bi•o•mor•phic

In the 1960s William Dubin exhibited a series of "Biomorphic" sculptures at the influential Dilexi Gallery, in San Francisco, and at other venues. These free-standing sculptures were hand carved from exotic hardwoods, and were derived from the Surrealist biomorphic tradition, exemplified by artists such as Roberto Matta and Yves Tanguy.

The sculptures explored formal tensions and spatial disruptions in ways calculated to discomfort the casual viewer. They appeared to mimic organic gestation and growth in grotesque ways, contributing to the experience of unease.

It is not known if any of these works have survived. Many were damaged or destroyed in transit, or have become lost in the dense mists of time. They survive in these few photographs and catalogue covers from the period when they were exhibited and celebrated.

(All photos courtesy of Steve Sokol.)