Doug Morgan, Iowa City, IA
I am a fractal artist with no formal art training. Although I have filled sketchbooks on and off for a great many years, and have ruined many work-related papers with my fractal doodling (not quite as fancy as Zentangle I suppose), my only real art education was an elective college Art Appreciation course that I took far too many years ago. I suppose I could be classified as an enthusiastic, older, untrained, emerging "outside" amateur artist.
I have created digital fractal art images over the last several years, and in the last few years have limited my pieces to high resolution digital fractal images. My interest in fractals has grown exponentially; my wife recently reclassified my growing interest as an obsession.
A very small number of the fractal images I have crafted are matted and framed, while a few others are aluminum prints. The vast majority sit in my computer "on the bench" waiting to be called into play. Most of my fractal designs are specifically created to mimic "the familiar" and fall into several themes. Other images are simply appealing abstract fractal works.
Artist Statement:
There is richness and wonder in endless repetition. The eye seems to hungrily seek out repeating patterns in an instinctual fashion while the mind assembles separate or even disparate pieces into a single cohesive whole. Fractal art spontaneously elicits a gratifying union of both processes.
I create fractal art through a digital medium. I am drawn to making fractal images that evoke a sense of the familiar. The joy that comes from uncovering the familiar while transforming fractals can be intense, similar to the Eureka! moment of an epiphany.
Many of my fractal designs are specifically created to mimic elements found in our daily lives. A few common themes of my work are candies, flora and fauna, machinery, and fanciful designs for children. Other images are simply appealing abstract fractal works that refuse to be dismissed as I work to create thematic fractal pieces.
A carefully developed combination of an engaging image, fractal geometry, cohesive design, symmetry, and depth of repetition makes each of my fractal art pieces unique. I typically spend hours adjusting combinations of fractal algorithms to craft a pleasing image. Fractal software then renders a high resolution picture by carrying out millions of mathematical iterations per second, a process that can sometimes take up to 48 hours. I then refine this image with photography software.
The resulting fractal art piece is then generally printed as giclee on paper. I choose matting to enrich the colors of the piece and I select a coordinated metal frame. Assembly is carried out by a commercial printshop. The artwork may also be printed into the surface of coated aluminum sheets through dye-infusion printing which allows a durable thin print with interesting gloss or translucent finishes.
Art Exhibitions/Art Fairs/Art Shows:
Chait Galleries Downtown, Iowa City, IA
Small Works Show 11-9-12 through 1-4-13
Juried entry, displayed 3 fractal art pcs
Riverbank Art Fair, Iowa City  4-27-13 & 4-28-13
Juried entry, displayed and sold giclee prints and aluminum prints
Chait Galleries Downtown, Iowa City, IA
Small Works Show 11-8-13 through 1-6-14
Juried entry, displayed 3 fractal art pcs
Chait Galleries Downtown, Iowa City, IA
Benjamin Buttons Annual Exhibit 2-14-14 through 3-15-14
Juried entry, displayed 4 fractal art pcs
Riverbank Art Fair, Iowa City 4-26-14 & 4-27-14
Juried entry, displayed and sold giclee prints and aluminum prints
Primary display site of collected works:
http://morganfractals.smugmug.com
