Visual Language Studio Visit Rod Seeley, Digital Fractal Art

Stylized Digital Fractal Art
Creating a New Art Form 

Rod Seeley

The first question I’m asked when someone views my art is ”how did you do that”?...   Quickly followed by a puzzled look of disbelief when I attempt to explain the process and show them the “original” piece of Fractal Art used to create my unique style of artwork.

Although I’ve always had a creative nature and was an award winning Creative Director of an ad agency in the 1970’s, I never really considered myself to be an artist since I couldn’t really draw all that well and certainly couldn’t paint to save my life.

In 2010 for fun I decided to experiment with several different digital paint programs. Well known (Corel Painter) and a few lesser known but easier to use programs. My early pieces were a combination of digital art mixed with digital paint techniques which I reproduced on canvas (gliclee). Although they looked great it didn’t really allow me to be as creative as I wanted to be.

Sometime in 2011 by accident I discovered Fractal Art. At the time I had no idea what fractal art even was or how it was created. Here is a brief description of the background of the art.

“Fractal art is a form of algorithmic art created by calculating fractal objects and representing the calculation results as still images, animations, and media.  Fractal art developed from the mid-1980s onwards. It is a genre of computer art and digital art which are part of new media art. The Julia set and Mandlebrot sets can be considered as icons of fractal art.

Fractal art (especially in the western world) is not drawn or painted by hand. It is usually created indirectly with the assistance of fractal-generating software, iterating through three phases: setting parameters of appropriate fractal software; executing the possibly lengthy calculation; and evaluating the product. In some cases, other graphics programs are used to further modify the images produced.

This is called post-processing. Non-fractal imagery may also be integrated into the artwork.” – from Wikipedia.

There are a number of outstanding Fractal Artists around but nearly all stop where I start because in general fractal art is very detailed and has a distinct computer generated algorithmic look. I use at least 6 different fractal software programs to create my “Original” piece of artwork. All of these programs are a little different but all work much like a child’s kaleidoscope in the sense that once you move the image displayed you can’t go back. Once I finalize the piece I want to use, my process begins.

The “metamorphosis” begins in Photoshop which is my base program but I rarely use any of the filters provided with the program. Instead I use nearly a dozen plug in programs to create my work. Unlike most artists I have no idea what shape the creation will take or what the final the color combinations will be most of the time. When the piece “Wow’s” me I stop. In many cases I will use the same “Original” piece to create 5 or more pieces and it is doubtful that the average person would know the finished pieces came from the same piece of art.

The key to my creative process is I don’t want the artwork to look computer generated and the pieces must be bright, vibrant and have Wow appeal. 

I reproduce my Limited Edition artwork on “High Gloss” Aluminum in a custom aluminum shadow frame which gives the artwork an additional visual dimension. I wasn’t aware until I exhibited at Art Expo New York in 2013 that I had created a new art form.

In the artwork displayed in this article, I have added an “Original Art” insert so it is easier to see the transformation to the finished art.

My artwork has been exhibited at many large National & International Art Shows; Art Expo New York 2013 & 2014, Spectrum New York 2013 & 2014, Spectrum Miami 2013 & 2014. Artwork has also been exhibited at Montreal Art Center and Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art, Las Vegas.

Artwork has also been published in a number Juried Art Publications; International Contemporary Masters Volume 7 & 8 and others.

Over the last several years my artwork has won many awards both online and at Regional Juried Shows but it is taking time for Digital Art to become established as an art form especially by galleries who frequently feel computer generated artwork doesn’t match up with other traditional art forms like oils, watercolor or pastels.

I enjoy creating artwork that is visual and makes people stop to take closer look. I consider my artwork to be vibrant “happy art” where the viewer decides what the subject is and everyone has a different vision.

Web Site – www.RodSeeleyArt.com