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.
Part of what inspires me about this form is its resemblance to aerial photographs of river deltas and other geological phenomena. Perhaps it is a minimalistic interpretation of what an alluvial fan looks like from above.
Suspensions is a black & white series created from the Aesthetic Explorations series. Although they are digital, when these images are printed, the resulting effect is one of a detailed pencil or charcoal drawing.
A 4×4 matrix of high quality images, representing a small portion of the parameter space of these particular attractors. This large monoprint was part of my BFA exhibition at the University of Central Florida, where I first started developing artwork from strange attractors. You may recognize some of the individual images, as I have since taken them out of their original context in this work to reinterpret them.
Ice and Reach were my first two strange attractor artworks in color. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this dendritic form, with its spirographic detail.
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© 2010 Nathan Selikoff. All Rights Reserved.
The Art of Nathan Selikoff is produced by DAS and Creative Outsiders.