This is a project that I've started of my own volition, and I intend to follow this article up with some showcasing in the near future.

The reason?

I am saddened on two counts at what I've observed with regards the Ultra Fractal community as a whole, and also at what seems to prevail as favourite throughout dA over and above the use of this wonderful UF program.. Apophysis.

Firstly, I have nothing against Apophysis per se. But I do have issues with the repetitive nature of the inevitable outcome of various scripts being shared, let alone the fact that anyone beginning this program will inevitably go through similar processes which are both predictable and often extremely boring to have to look at. (Not that the latter isn't the case with UF of course, yet there are huge differences in what we get to see - and believe me, I recognise the fractal work of a beginner in UF when I see one).

*Ultra-Fractal - the Community

The Ultra-Fractal membership has been revised to reflect those who, despite being continued watchers, are currently active in retaining their membership. The numbers have shrunk and some well-established Ultra Fractal artists have not renewed this membership.

I've belonged to this group since I started being an active subscriber here (just about a year ago, although I was an inactive member for a year before that). Back then, it seemed to be very highly active, with lots of discussion and feedback - high-profile, let's say! There were dreadful contentions too, culminating in a very sad time mid-2007, when I believe that many stood back to take stock. Some are obviously still doing so, and some others may never return to grace its membership once more. However, there have been many new members from newer people to dA, and its always refreshing to see "new blood" coming in.

So what happened to Ultra Fractal as an art-form?

I see time and again that Apophysis users apparently get the preference over UF, both in submissions to the galleries of various clubs, and also in overall choice for winners of contests. This is discouraging for any Ultra Fractal artist!

Apophysis seems, by nature of the free sharing of scripts and so on, to have a highly interactive fractal community - this is good! There is also lots of room for innovation in the use of this program in the sense that Apophysis flames quite often lend themselves very well to being blended with other art-forms to produce a Mixed Media outcome. There's nothing wrong with that either. Also, the latest 3D hacks have become amazing and totally intriguing in some of their outcomes, and take on a whole new perspective to previous versions of Apophysis. If you want to see an alien looking aquarial effect, complete with spotlighting through a portal, take a look at some of the latest 3D Apophysis productions on show!

Purism -v- Freedom to Innovate?

In any fractal community there are the "Purists" as opposed to the "innovators" (don't shoot me please!!!) and this leads to heated debate to the point of hatred amongst some members of either community, but unfortunately I have seen this happen mostly in the Ultra Fractal community. This issue (surely it should never be??) has divided that community rather than united it, the one faction having no tolerance for the other.

For me, purism doesn't come into it. Its a personal challenge to me to be able to complete every aspect of what I want to achieve within the Ultra Fractal program - simply because all the facilities are there, and all I need is to develop my skills and knowledge in order to achieve this seemingly "pure" result (lonnnnggg way to go!). People who know me also know that I use UF sometimes in Mixed Media artwork.

Is A Fractal actually ART?

Another argument that I still retain my view on is that because a fractal is by nature produced with the means of a program run on maths (no matter which fractal program this is), this does not negate the artistry involved in the outcome of a picture. It is definitely art! Its abstract or surrealistic, and just another way to produce our favourite form of.. art. It can evoke emotion, wonderment, fascination... Sometimes there are messages that one can read in this art-form that take on new meaning in one's own life...

The fact that there is a mathematical formula behind the image is for me as an artist, totally incidental. I get migraine if I try doing anything mathematical! I never took my GCE 'O' level Maths because it was meaningless to me. I leave that side of it to someone else - the creator of the fractal program. But digitally speaking, all art we see here on screen has something to do with IOIOIOIO in its various combinations - or so I'm led to believe!

One might also just as well ask whether technical drawing is art. Its calculated at every level, measured, geometrically produced.

That's not how I personally do my fractal art - I produce a composition with the facilities that are there, by manipulating things around on the screen, sometimes needing to change some values - but only when I see in the preview what I want to achieve - and I have enormous fun masking and making up different individual objects that I can then use in other images too. The colours are something I always work out bit by bit, never going for any presets, as they rarely please me.

So where is the doubt that this is a true artform?

© © COPYRIGHT © ©

Yes, I believe fractal art of origin definitely is! As to the logistics of registering a fractal artwork as personal copyright, I have no clue because I've never tried going through that process with any art-form in any case! It doesn't mean quite that much to me, although if I sell something I'm naturally pleased. The likelihood of someone else coming up with the same outcome as myself lies only in my sharing my secret formula (the numbers/codes behind the image) with someone else! If I do, I take a risk, just the same as I do if I upload an image I've personally drawn here without a copyright notice slapped all over it as a deterrent.

The fact that within the program itself lies the ability that is specified to be for the user's copyright alone, is sufficient for me to know that whatever I produce out of a fractal is my own copyright. Beyond that, I choose not to involve myself in contention on this issue, other than to agree with the majority of artists that anyone knowingly thieving art of any form and claiming it as his own needs a personal counsellor or even a psychiatrist to enable him to understand his own obvious inadequacies to produce something original for himself!

Are YOU Interested in being part of the *Ultra-Fractal Community?

Take a look there! There's currently a challenge - not a contest - going on The Beginning... The End

This is for all levels of Ultra Fractal Artists, as you will see on the page. Why not assume yourself to be better than you think and discover that you actually are? Don't take on that banner of false humility and place yourself in a lower category knowing you should win it!

I long to see lively discussion back in the UF department - not back-biting and bickering, but friendly, helpful discussion intended to help further this particularly beautiful art-form.

FOLLOWING ON FROM HERE

My intention will be to showcase two works of art produced by every confirmed member of the *Ultra-Fractal community as it stands right now (anyone joining after reading this will need to let ME in order to have their images included. Please note me at my own account, as I'm not a member of the Ultra-Fractal Team - just an eager UF-loving fractal artist!

Thank you for your patience in reading this! And please note that I ask for no contention in the comments below! I am only asking for people to consider whether or not they would like to move on forward in this New Year, leaving all that was in 2007 behind them, and starting afresh - or even for the first time.

Should you wish to give this the however, please have the courage to NOTE me with your reasons, ok? Thanks