ARTISTIC INTERPRETATION OF CHAOS THEORY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/facs-2025-3-2-37Keywords:
chaos aesthetics, fractal structure, artistic process, nonlinearity, sensitivity to initial conditions, algorithmic art, interdisciplinarityAbstract
The article explores the artistic interpretation of chaos theory as an interdisciplinary phenomenon emerging at the intersection of the natural sciences, philosophy, aesthetics, and cultural practice. The focus is on identifying how ideas of complexity, nonlinearity, fractality, and deterministic chaos serve not only as themes in art but as structural and conceptual principles in the creative process. The purpose of the study is to analyze the artistic potential of chaos theory as a means of shaping new aesthetic sensitivity that responds to the challenges of technological instability. The article examines how the core concepts of chaos theory–sensitivity to initial conditions, self-similarity, and the interplay of order and unpredictability–are integrated into artistic strategies across various art forms.The research methodology is based on an interdisciplinary approach that combines cultural analysis, elements of complexity philosophy, emergence theory, and historical-contextual interpretation of artistic practices. The study discusses examples from contemporary art, music, and visual culture, including the works of Jackson Pollock, Iannis Xenakis, and Refik Anadol, as well as algorithmic and generative models built upon the principles of chaotic systems. The scientific novelty lies in the formulation of chaos theory as a full-fledged cultural concept that influences the structure of artistic thinking in the age of postmodernism and digital transformation. For the first time in Ukrainian academic discourse, the study synthesizes ways in which the concepts of complexity are embodied in contemporary art, where chaos functions as a structural foundation rather than a destructive force. Conclusions. Chaos in art becomes a constructive factor that enables a departure from classical notions of order, harmony, and composition.In an era of dynamic change, instability and unpredictability emerge as sources of creativity. Thus, chaos theory opens new horizons for aesthetic knowledge, modeling of the creative process, and rethinking the role of art in a complex world.
References
Aman Y. Chaos Theory and Literature from an Existentialist Perspective. CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture. 2007. Vol. 9, No. 3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7771/1481-4374.1226
Dewey J. Art as Experience. New York : Minton, Balch & Company, 1934.
Kappraff J. Complexity and Chaos Theory in Art. On Art and Science, ed. by Shyam Wuppuluri, Dali Wu. The Frontiers Collection. Springer, Cham, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27577-8_9
Knaster M. Chaos and Art. Mirka Knaster Blog. 2023. URL: https://www.mirkaart.com/blog/2023/4/17/ chaos-and-art
McDonough J. & Herczyński A. Fractal patterns in music. Chaos, Solitons & Fractals. 2023. Vol. 170. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chaos.2023.113315
Svozil K. Aesthetic Complexity. arXiv preprint. 2008. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.physics/0505088
Taylor R., Micolich A., Jonas D. Fractal analysis of Pollock’s drip paintings. Nature. 1999. No. 399. P. 422. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/20833