About UltraGnosis Fractal Art
 

Brief bio

A background in science, a leisurely interest in both art and mathematics and a natural affinity with computers provided a rich soil for nurturing a fascination with fractals. First real contact was telling: in the mid-'90s, James Gleick's 'Chaos' with its images of zooms into the Mandelbrot set affected me deeply, triggering a powerful connection whose participatory side awaited a PC and a couple of fruitful chances. Beginning as mathematical exploration before acquiring both artistic and spiritual dimensions, this personal journey has been a guiding force since 2002.

Artist statement

To some extent, the medium places limits on the range of subject matter, of style. A cursory thought and glance may lead to the single word 'abstract'. Largely, but not exhaustively, accurate. There are the expected abstract forms and patterns that arise from manipulation of mathematics' formulae, of course, and a style that I've developed in pale imitation, in homage, to some traditional abstract work. And yet looking a little deeper, we should be mindful of the fact that those same mathematically rooted structures also underpin the forms and processes of Nature, from branching growth in plants to the formation and exhaustion of hurricanes, as well as forming the memorable content of some of the non-ordinary states of consciousness, particularly those attained through entheogenic intake.

Fractals, along with holography, embody an ethos emphasising the absolute interconnection, the essential inseparability of all things and phenomena, the truth underlying the popular 'butterfly effect' concept. This is expressed strongly in both the cross-scale repetition and the seamless integration of particular forms within a broader whole. During our turbulent times, as we appear to stand at a crossroads seeking the direction that best fits a viable future, this aspect of fractal art clearly marks it as powerfully relevant, a medium containing a message that urgently awaits universal understanding and application.