Whilst doing a bit more reading on Piet Mondrian, I found an interesting study :’Fractal analysis of Mondrian’s Red Tree painting and Jackson Pollock’s paintings by Tassos Bountis (2009) ‘ - Cambridge University. In nature, certain patterns are repeated again and again at varios levels of magnification e.g branching of trees, leafs of a fern, also mountain ridges , branching of rivers and even lightning.These repeat patterns are called fractals. Using computers and fractal geometry, developed by Mandelbrot in the 1970s, scientists found that Mondrian’s Red Tree painting and Pollock’s abstract expressionist paintings could be descibed by the mathematics of fractal geometry. Also, neuroscientists found that structures having fractal patterns possess an aesthetic value. What I found interesting is that there appears to be some order in the apparent chaos of Pollocks paintings and that they are not a mere web of intricate paint splatters. Fractal geometry has apparently been used to identify fake Pollock paintings. So Pollock and Mondrian must have had some recognition of the beauty of fractals ( probably subconsciously) and perhaps this explains why so many people admire their works.
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Thank you Thea.
Thank you for this information George.I found it really interesting eventhough Maths was my worst subject at school! Thea
Very interesting read George. It’s the golden mean in nature thats aesthetically pleasing to our brains I think as we have experienced these natural designs throughout our evolution.
Interesting. Pollock used a paint tin on a string for some of his work, do you think that this added to the possible creation of 'pattern' in his work? Does your choice of tool or method of application affect how random it is possible to be? I mean a square or round brush will give different types of marks, oil pastel and coloured pencils won't give the same mark as each other.....?