Join us for a talk entitled: Fractals and the Drip Paintings of Jackson Pollockwith Katherine Jones-Smith of the Hamilton College, Department of Physics
Join us for a talk entitled: Fractals and the Drip Paintings of Jackson Pollock
with Katherine Jones-Smith of the Hamilton College, Department of Physics
Physics Fall Seminar Series
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
CNS 112 at 12:10
In the late 1990s, a group of physicists analyzed several of the celebrated drip paintings by the late Abstract Expressionist painter Jackson Pollock. Assuming Pollock underwent a particular type of chaotic motion known to leave a fractal trail, they found that every layer of every painting they analyzed possessed the same fractal characteristics. From this they conjectured that Pollock was able to create a unique fractal 'signature' in his work, and that fractal analysis could therefore be used as an authentication tool in paintings of disputed origin. It turns out that this hypothesis of 'Fractal Expressionism' is flawed in several important ways. I will present an account of the techniques used in fractal analysis and the pitfalls which ensue from applying them to Pollock's drip paintings. I will also discuss several new findings from the realm of fractal mathematics which were motivated by this work.
Pizza and Refreshments will be available for $1. Please bring your own cup.
Remember to Recycle, Reuse, Reduce.
Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact the department assistant at jackerman@ithaca.edu. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20141113112533918