Yves Klein's Cosmogonies encompass a unique subset of his oeuvre, embodying his fascination with natural forces and phenomena. These works are essentially records of nature's own creative process, capturing the ephemeral and often uncontrollable aspects of the environment. Through the Cosmogonies, Klein aimed to harness elemental forces such as rain, wind, and the sea, using them as tools to create art. This approach was in line with his broader artistic ambitions to explore the immaterial and the void, seeking to transcend the limitations of traditional art forms and materials.

The Cosmogonies were created in various ways, each method depending on the natural element involved. For example, Klein would place canvases outside during rainstorms, allowing the rain to mix with pigment on the canvas, or he might attach a canvas to a car and drive through the landscape, letting the wind and the environment imprint upon the surface. These techniques not only allowed the elements themselves to partake in the creation of the artwork but also emphasized Klein's belief in the serendipitous and spontaneous creation of beauty through the forces of nature.

One of the critical aspects of the Cosmogonies is their ability to capture a moment in time, a fleeting interaction between the artist's materials and the natural world. Klein viewed these works as a form of collaboration with nature, a way to document the "signs of atmospheric behavior" by receiving on a canvas the "instant traces" of natural phenomena such as spring showers and lightning. This method reflects a profound engagement with the world, a desire to grasp the ungraspable, and to record the momentary and ephemeral through the medium of paint and canvas​ (Yves Klein)​​ (Yves Klein)​.

Exhibitions like "Cosmogonies - Au gré des éléments" at MAMAC and retrospectives that include these works, highlight Klein's innovative approach to art-making and his influence on later movements and artists who also sought to incorporate natural processes into their work. The Cosmogonies, alongside his other series, underscore Klein's role as an artist deeply attuned to the philosophical and existential questions of his time, exploring through his art the fundamental connections between human existence and the cosmos​ (Yves Klein)​​ (Gagosian)​.