Exploring Formless Spheres in Art and Literature: From Blobcows to Beckett
An article examines the biological anomaly amorphous globosus, colloquially termed 'blobcow,' a nonviable spherical creature born to cattle. Approximately one thousand such anomalies occur annually. The piece connects this phenomenon to literary themes in Samuel Beckett's novel 'Murphy' and visual art by Ambera Wellmann, particularly her 2021 painting 'UnGodly.' It explores concepts of formlessness, ambiguity, and existence between states, referencing philosophical ideas from Georges Bataille. The content blends biological observation with artistic and literary analysis, published in The Paris Review in March 2026.
Key facts
- Amorphous globosus is a spherical, nonviable biological anomaly in cattle, lacking heads and limbs.
- Roughly one thousand blobcows are born each year, based on statistical occurrence rates.
- Samuel Beckett's 1938 novel 'Murphy' features themes of formlessness and mental escape akin to the blobcow state.
- Artist Ambera Wellmann's painting 'UnGodly' (2021) depicts ambiguous, form-shifting creatures in a void-like space.
- The article references philosopher Georges Bataille's ideas on formlessness and its undermining of meaning.
Entities
Artists
- Ambera Wellmann
Institutions
- The Paris Review
- Company Gallery
- Hauser & Wirth