Graphic Nature

Shell form on stone base, Peter Beard 2010

Nature has always been a rich source of inspiration for artists and designers. But as our lives become increasingly urban and digitised, have we lost touch with forces and elements which once inspired awe and wonder? Have we outgrown the natural world?

This exhibition proves that nature still holds plenty of surprises, and continues to influence even the most contemporary of ideas. Natural patterns from giraffe skin to cauliflowers and Italian marble are transformed into edgy dramatic designs. Like the Arts and Crafts designers, some designers in the exhibition study nature to create decorative and useful objects for living. For other designers, it is the underlying complexities of nature – physical forces, mathematics and evolution – that appeal.

Drawing on historic decorative arts and natural history specimens from Museums Sheffield’s collections and the work of leading designers from across Europe, Graphic Nature is a vibrant celebration of nature’s continuing influence on design.