Have you ever seen a pendulum swinging over a pit of sand, tracing patterns as it moves? The results can be simple or complex, depending on the forces generating the motion. In a truly chaotic system, a strange attractor represents this final state, and can be visualized using surprisingly simple mathematical equations. Initially inspired by Clifford Pickover’s Chaos in Wonderland, I have been experimenting with chaotic attractors since 2001. I call this series Aesthetic Explorations of Attractor Space. For more technical and mathematical information, view the Tech Notes.
I like to visualize strange attractors in real time, and OpenCL is a promising technology to take this to the next level, as it can utilize all processing cores available on a system, be they GPU, CPU, or a combination. As long as the algorithm can be made massively parallel.
Æxploration (Aesthetic Exploration) represents a new direction in my artwork – a focus on interactive algorithmic motion as performance and installation. What once was my internal artist’s tool has become externalized – the beauty and the mess exposed for all to see. This is experimental, in-progress work, as I revamp my codebase once again and seek opportunities to perform and collaborate using its generative visuals.
Two new attractors from a live art session at Create Chaos 2008 in Orlando.
Helios was the sun god in Greek mythology, and a perfect name for this artwork, which came from my life-long fascination with cosmology. Specifically, I have always loved x-ray solar photographs and their coloration and forms, which served as reference and inspiration for this piece.
The sweeping forms of this strange attractor outline an abstract face that reminds me of the head of a Chinese dragon kite. Be sure to view the larger size to see the fine detail.
Subscribe to our RSS FEED to receive breaking news as well as receive other site updates or alternatively, feel free to connect with us.
© 2010 Nathan Selikoff. All Rights Reserved.
The Art of Nathan Selikoff is produced by DAS and Creative Outsiders.