Hylomorphism and Morphogenesis

During the key concepts lecture that was led by Rowan Bailey, Form, Matter and Meaning Making/Or/Making Theoretical Friends, two concepts were shared these being:

1. Hylomorphism

2. Morphogenesis

These concepts communicate two theories on how we view the creative practice and the introduction of form into the world around us and the use of materials and matter. Hylomorphism is the concept that creatives impose forms into the world around us which was described by Tim Ingold. The second concept, Morphogenesis is the notion that the creative practitioner is a participant and engaging with the materials in the world around them to create forms.

I personally found the second to be more of a fluid view of the forms and matter that we use around us. A process that communicates itself as less forceful almost. This being said, the hylomorphism concept, from the outside looking in, is how many would view the creative process and practice. For example, we design a form and we place it into the world. The matter is there to serve the form we desire to make. Through my creative process, I have never considered the approach I have to form and how I introduce the forms into the world around me. Is the approach more hylomorphic or is morphogenetic? Am I imposing forms or is it a symbiotic relationship with the matter to introduce the forms? I believe that these questions may require me to take a deeper and more conscious look at my creative process and my practice to understand my relationship to form and matter. I would like to think that my practice leans towards the second notion, however, it stands to question, is the first notion negative?

Reflecting upon form and my relationship to it and the matter that create those forms. One of the quotes that Rowan had released before the lecture that resonated with me is this from Davvetas Demosthenes:

‘Each kind of material is its own world, its own microcosm; each breaks into particles, each particle into atoms, each atom into whatever results from further splitting. Materials, in this case, are evidence of an artist’s experience as he/she/they wanders through the world; they are their weapon and their defence against the world, their language and their tool, their goal and their object of desire’ (note personal pronouns have been changed. Demosthenes Davvetas, 2016, p.12

What is my relationship to the matter I use to create forms? I personally liked this notion that matter is the creative person weapon, their language and their tool. The notion of matter and form being part of a language I find intriguing. Being a graphic designer, the forms I create are to enable communication of messages and to convey stories. Does this practice of communication design and creation go deeper than that of the surface? What does the matter in which I create the graphic forms around me communicate? For example, does producing a sustainability message on planet harming materials convey the wrong message? How conscious are I of the matter and their language in my work?

I reflected earlier on the main lecture here

References:

Bailey, R. University of Huddersfield. (2021, 12, 02). Week 4: Key Concepts - Form, Matter and Meaning Making / Or / Making Theoretical Friends

Video. https://brightspace.hud.ac.uk/d2l/le/content/134131/Home