Transforming Fractals

Where most fractal artists conclude their process, Rod Seeley begins. In his procedure, equations, coeffi cients, and fractal software are the source materials. From there, the vibrant pixel poetry commences via a series of unrepeatable transformations. To create what he calls “stylized fractal art,” Seeley says he uses at least half a dozen freeware fractal programs that function, for him, like a child’s kaleidoscope. This initial milieu forms the base from which he then articulates a process of “metamorphosis,” usually in Photoshop. Using fi lters, plug-ins, and other transformations, he eventually arrives at a fi nal product, which he never anticipates or visualizes ahead of time. Seeley often works in series, with a single-source fractal image eventually leading to several fi nal incarnations. He then prints the works on highgloss aluminum, often in custom shadow boxes, allowing for still another visual element. All in all, his process appears to be unique. Those tenured academics who for years accused Benoit Mandelbrot of promulgating “vague nonsense for poets and children” are probably rolling their eyes from the world beyond.