Tags
abstract painting, Barranca, butterfly effect in abstract art, Canyon Road gallery, Canyon Walls Series, Karan Ruhlen Gallery, Santa Fe art gallery, the butterfly effect
MARTHA REA BAKER has delivered two new canvases to KARAN RUHLEN GALLERY on Canyon road in Santa Fe, NM.
In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one state of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state. The name of the effect, coined by Edward Lorenz, is derived from the metaphorical example of the details of a hurricane (exact time of formation, exact path taken) being influenced by minor perturbations such as the flapping of the wings of a distant butterfly several weeks earlier.
The phrase refers to the idea that a butterfly’s wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may ultimately alter the path of a tornado or delay, accelerate or even prevent the occurrence of a tornado in another location. Note that the butterfly does not power or directly create the tornado. The butterfly effect does not convey the notion—as is often misconstrued—that the flap of the butterfly’s wings causes the tornado. The flap of the wings is a part of the initial conditions; one set of conditions leads to a tornado while the other set of conditions doesn’t. The flapping wing represents a small change in the initial condition of the system, which causes a chain of events leading to large-scale alterations of events (compare: domino effect). Had the butterfly not flapped its wings, the trajectory of the system might have been vastly different—it’s possible that the set of conditions without the butterfly flapping its wings is the set that leads to a tornado. Wikipedia
In the same way, minor and almost sub-conscious actions in everyday life can be seen to have gross and widespread effects upon the future. As such, seemingly inconsequential actions can be seen to have drastic long-term results.
This is easily seen in creative endeavors of all kinds and especially in abstract painting. If the artist makes the slightest adjustment, alters one delicate line or shifts a color value it produces a chain reaction that transforms the entire work. Each shape, color, line, value and texture is related to the adjacent element, and more importantly, to the unified painting in a nonlinear way.
The Butterfly Effect —- 60″ x 48″ —- Oil/Cold Wax on Canvas
Barranca IV —- 48″ x 48″—- Oil/Cold wax on Canvas
Martha Rea Baker 
nannus said:
Very interesting ideas.
I think something like the butterfly effect also plays a role if your painting process contains random processes. In such processes, small structures from the microscopic level might be amplified by non-linear processes, resulting in seemingly random macroscopic structures, patterns and textures. While in most areas of technology, people try to reduce such effects in order to get a controlled and always equal outcome, in abstract art you might instead want them, so here techniques have been developed to get strong effectds of this kind. I guess that a physical description of the interaction of canvas, paint and tools like palette knives or squeegees would show non-linerarity of the maths describing shuch systems.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Martha Rea Baker said:
Thanks for your comment, Nannus. I enjoy your posts, very much.
In fact, random processes do come into play throughout my work and especially in the beginning stages. The first strokes, washes and layers are made intuitively with no conscious thinking–no self-judging, simply reacting to the paint–a conversation between the artist and the painting. Perhaps this process would not qualify as random because after the first strokes it is reactionary, but it feels free and not critically or strategically rendered at this stage to me.
I alway appreciate your “likes” on my posts. I am curious as to what you see in my abstract work? As a visual artist, I do not have your skill with words.
LikeLike
nannus said:
I don’t really see anything in your paintings. An abstract painting is a beautiful structure, like a crystal, for example. For me, such paintings do not have a meaning, they do not signify anything else, but just are what they are.
My attitude to such art is maybe best expressed in what I wrote in http://asifoscope.org/2013/03/02/before-words/.
The concept of beauty I am thinking of when I say “beautiful structure”, the experience that I search and find in abstract art especially is explained in http://asifoscope.org/2013/05/10/on-beauty/.
I have also written about randomness in art, although I was not thinking so much on randomness in the actions of the painter but random structures that arrise in the interaction between painting, canvas and painting tool, see http://asifoscope.org/2013/06/30/randomness-and-control/.
I hope you don’t mind that I put so many links to my own articles here, I think they are on topic here. These are topics I am interested in a lot.
LikeLike
Martha Rea Baker said:
Hi Nannus.
Thank you for your comment from several weeks ago and for including the links. I had read these posts before, however rereading them has given me a better understanding of your ideas and of what I am actually doing in my own art. I especially enjoy your explanation of the concept of beauty. You answered my question about what you see in my art even though I did not ask the correct question. When I said “see in my art” I did not mean “to see” literally, but rather, what draws you to my art–what keeps you looking and “liking” my posts. If I am achieving this balance between boredom and confusion in my paintings, then I am gratified. You are also very perceptive to recognize the randomness in my paintings. Randomness is a byproduct of the tools and processes I use when making my art. Very often, unexpected shapes and textures which add spontaneity and interest are created in the process. This randomness is vital in my work. It is natural and uncontrived. It is the role of the intellectual artist to decide what stays and what goes. My process is one of adding, subtracting and careful editing.
Thanks for looking and liking.
Martha
LikeLiked by 1 person