“Mighty is geometry; joined with art, resistless.” — Euripides (485-406 B. C. E)
The Mandelbulb takes many forms.
Since 2009, intrepid explorers have been diving into a new realm of number-space, able for the first time to see—and capture images of—this new breed of ideal chaotic object. To understand nature, you need to understand fractal geometry and chaos theory—but even if you have no specialized interest in math or science, these images are still simply stunning.
Out of simple equations spring an infinite variety of alien-looking but entirely natural forms.
“There is geometry in the humming of the strings.”
— Pythagoras
This small selection of fractal forms barely begins to scratch the surface of their infinite variety. With the help of Krzysztof Marczak’s excellent Mandelbulber program, intrepid Mandelbulb divers can visit worlds upon worlds upon worlds. Each complex object – from things that look like paramecium, to desert landscapes containing unknown symmetry – is a pure expression of math rendered in an entirely new way. Marczak’s program offers not only intellectual pursuit, but also a chance for artists to create work of mind-bending intensity, rendering the real fantastic through numerous creative variables. Where art and math coexist, dwells the Mandelbulb.
