Jackson Pollock: Bridging the Gap Between Fractals, Natural Patterns and Paint
2nd December 2023
Photo by Simi Iluyomade on Unsplash
Jackson Pollock, a maverick of abstract expressionism, revolutionised the art world with his distinctive technique. His intricate, seemingly chaotic canvases have been shown to share similarities with the mesmerising complexity found in natural fractals. Exploring the connection between Pollock's artwork and natural fractals unveils a profound intersection of art and the inherent patterns of the natural world.
Fractals - mathematical constructs exhibiting self-similar patterns at varying scales - mirror the intricate beauty of natural phenomena like coastlines, clouds, trees, and snowflakes. In examining Pollock's ‘drip paintings’, such as "Autumn Rhythm", "Number 1 (Lavender Mist)" and "Blue Poles", you can discover an uncanny resemblance to the fractal patterns observed in nature. The chaotic yet structured composition of his works echoes the spontaneous yet ordered occurrences found in natural fractals. Just as fractals exhibit ‘self-similarity’ when zoomed in or out, Pollock's canvases reveal intricate patterns regardless of the viewing distance.
As discussed in a blog post by the physicist and art historian Richard Taylor, one of the images below is a Jackson Pollock painting and the other 5 are images of things in nature, including vegetation, a spider’s web, a bush, trees and seaweed.
Can you tell which is which? The answers are at the bottom of the page.
Reproduced from a Blog Post by Richard Taylor - Click the image to read it
Jackson Pollock's creative process involved a unique method of pouring, splattering, and dripping paint onto canvases spread across the floor. The resulting web of intricate lines, splashes, and interwoven patterns often reflected the patterns and features found in fractal geometry. Much like the organic branching of trees or the meandering rivers, Pollock's canvases exude a sense of order within apparent chaos. Closer examination reveals numerous parallels between the organic forms in nature and the chaos captured within Pollock's art, reminiscent of natural fractals, such as the irregular but repeating shapes in clouds.
Natural fractals emerge from simple rules and processes, just as Pollock's method involved controlled chaos - pouring, dripping, and flinging paint in a seemingly random yet purposeful manner. This convergence of unpredictability and underlying structure resonates with the complexity of natural systems.
One of the defining characteristics of fractals is ‘self-similarity’ - patterns that recur at different levels of magnification. Similarly, in Pollock's paintings, upon closer inspection, the seemingly chaotic brushstrokes reveal a structured coherence. As you zoom in or out of a Pollock artwork, similar patterns and structures emerge, echoing the self-similarity found in fractals. And Pollock's artistic process also mirrors the organic growth seen in nature. Just as trees branch out in a fractal manner, his paint trails branch across the canvas, forming intricate, self-repeating patterns. In this way, the relationship between Pollock's art and natural fractals reflects the fundamental interconnectedness of art, mathematics, and nature, and the convergence of chaotic creativity and underlying structure in Pollock's paintings mirrors the intricate balance found in the natural world.
The uniqueness of Pollock's work lies in his use of chaos theory and fractal geometry, according to physicist and art historian Richard Taylor. Fractals are single geometric patterns repeated at different magnifications, providing useful models for the irregular yet patterned shapes found in nature. Fractal dimensions are ranked on scales between 0 and 3, with most natural objects ranking between 1.2 and 1.6. The ‘Pollockizer’, a device developed by Richard Taylor that can create chaotic or regular motions by tuning the size and frequency of the kick, can create both fractal and nonfractal patterns. When surveyed, 113 people preferred fractal patterns over natural, computer-generated, and man-made patterns. Two recent studies in perceptual psychology found that people prefer fractal dimensions similar to nature, but the exact value of that dimension is disputed. Richard Taylor collaborated with two perceptual psychologists in Australia and England to see if they could resolve the discrepancy. The highest fractal dimension of any Jackson Pollock painting, Blue Poles, now valued at over $30 million, was tested and found to be more popular than any other painting. Pollock was perhaps testing the limits of what the human eye would find aesthetically pleasing, with the later the painting, the richer and more complex its patterns. The effect of fractals on the complexity of his patterns is similar to that of many coastlines found in his earlier drip paintings.
James Wise, a professor of environmental sciences at Washington State University, suggests that these preferences may date back to the time of our ancestors. On the African savanna they could tell whether the grass was ruffled by the wind or by a stalking lion by tuning in to variations in fractal dimensions. But in settings with high fractal dimensions (a densely branching rain forest, for instance), early humans would have been more vulnerable - and thus more uneasy. Richard Taylor suggests that our appreciation of lower-dimension fractal patterns is possibly more about survival instinct than beauty.
Final Thoughts
Pollock's drip paintings offer not just visual parallels, but evoke a sense of awe and wonder similar to experiencing natural beauty. The complexity and depth within his canvases echoes the intricate and captivating nature of natural fractals, prompting introspection and contemplation. In essence, Jackson Pollock's abstract masterpieces bridge the gap between art and the organic fractal patterns seen in nature. His art serves as a visual bridge, inviting you to recognise the harmony between the structured chaos in his canvases and the captivating complexity of natural fractals. The parallels between Pollock's work and natural phenomena highlight the profound interplay between art, mathematics, and the inherent beauty of the world around us.
The answers to the quiz above are here:
Reproduced from a Blog Post by Richard Taylor - Click the image to read it
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