Looking Outwards 06: Randomness

William Latham is a computer scientist who creates fractal art using the Mutator program. Fractal art is achieved through the mathematical calculations of fractal objects displayed, with the use of self-similar transforms that are generated and manipulated with different assigned geometric properties to produce multiple variations of the shape in never ending patterns. Since it can infinitely produce the patterns, the artist doesn’t know what the artwork is going to look like at the end. One of his projects that grabbed my interest is called the White Horn and was produced at IBM in 1990. This artwork is supposed to represent the reminiscent of squid and marine life. What I admire about Latham is that he creates 3D fractal art works unlike other fractal artists who work with flat surfaces. It was refreshing to see these types of artworks in the form of 3D sculptures. In addition, he spent a lot of his time in the natural history museum, taking inspiration from the natural patterns and forms. I thought it was interesting that he artistically combined the natural world with the digital world to create his own humanized version of the natural system.