Fractals may have become a cliche in modern computer graphics, but they have a long and rich history in art.

Before anybody even knew Mandelbrot, artists were seeing fractals in nature and transferred the patterns in painting, design and sculpture. Fractals, as you may know, are geometric patterns that are repeated on smaller and smaller scales to produce intricate designs, through self-similarity, described by the Mandelbrot Equation.
posted by Leisure_Muffin on May 10, 2011 - 22 comments

The sublime fractal-based short film Gestalt (previously) has been re-rendered in high definition. Go forth and iterate.

Also, don't miss Fleischfilm's newer, and similarly unnerving Energie! - also in HD. In case you lose patience, it really starts to blow up around the minute mark. [more inside]
posted by BlackLeotardFront on Sep 1, 2009 - 24 comments

40 fractals created with Apophysis, a freeware fractal flame generator. [more inside]
posted by Upton O'Good on Jan 12, 2009 - 18 comments

A talk with Benoît Mandelbrot, entitled Fractals in Science, Engineering and Finance (Roughness and Beauty) [video, 80mins, realplayer] about fractals as A Theory of Roughness.
posted by MetaMonkey on Dec 3, 2006 - 5 comments

These images remind us never to underestimate our opponent. -- The science behind the art (.pdf). Fractal art by way of bacteria growin' in a petri dish. A few more images here.
posted by Gator on Mar 7, 2006 - 7 comments

Fractal Eggs and how to make them.
posted by WolfDaddy on Aug 26, 2005 - 19 comments

Who would guess that art and insects and spiders can go hand in hand? We have art made using insect larvae, mygalomorph patterns, fractal insects, cool insects for sale, virtual insect art, and insect and spider stamps. What's you favorite insect art?
posted by Morphic on Nov 7, 2002 - 12 comments

HOP draws beautiful abstract images and real-time animations, based on "strange attractor" formulas, enhanced by mathematical and graphical special effects. It's a unique interactive fractal generator, but doubles as a cute screensaver if you're feeling lazy (runs in DOS/windows).
posted by walrus on Feb 7, 2002 - 2 comments