Dr Michael Durst, a Sea Point artist, is having his most recent piece, The Path, exhibited at the Bienal de Arte Barcelona at the European Museum of Modern Art.
The exhibition’s curators chose 100 of the world’s finest contemporary painters for the exhibition, which opened last month at the Gomis Palace, and the 79-year-old psychologist and artist says he is proud to be included at this prestigious museum.
“It’s a fractal impressionistic piece done with mathematical algorithms and painted with many layers of paint and varnish. It’s an actual path and you can see the trees and a bright sun and some people have commented that they feel like they can walk into this path,” said Dr Durst.
“I was asked to submit a piece and I chose The Path, and it’s one of 100 paintings chosen. Unfortunately, I won’t be going but my son will be there to pick up the award. It’s really nice to be exhibited in a museum as it doesn’t happen often, most people have to die before their work is exhibited at a museum,” he said.
Dr Durst also has the Botticelli Prize at the Borghese Palace in Florence, the Leonardo da Vinci Art Award in Milan, and the Phoenix Award for the Venice Biennale among his achievements.
“In the mid 1980s I remember seeing and reading about a fractal image in Scientific America, for the first time and I was blown away by it. The fractals represent infinity and you can go into it as small as you possibly can and it still retains it’s beauty, or you can extend it and it still maintains that beauty so it does represent infinity,” he said.
“In the mid 90s I came across different types of fractal designs. I then became aware of actual fractal software and this allowed me to create algorithms to create images, it’s a complex process and it takes a while and there’s infinite possibilities. Each and every fractal image is unique, like snowflakes, like human beings, fractals are one of a kind.”
Dr Durst says once he chooses a design, he has it printed on paper or canvas which could take four to five hours as there are millions of pixels.
“Once the printing process is done I then apply what I call fractal impressionism, I apply paint and varnish in many layers which brings out the intensity of the colour and the texture as well. When you look at it you can see it’s three dimensional. If you look at a portrait it feels as if you can touch the person, or when you look at a landscape piece it looks like you can walk into it and that’s what The Path is about. It’s a spiritual piece, it’s an emotional piece, and I call my artwork ‘heartscapes’ as they connect to your heart and soul.”
Dr Durst believes that fractal art decreases workplace stress and promotes physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.
“I don’t create art to comment on current affairs or the uglyness of life, I want my paintings to touch people, to connect people. Our thoughts impact our well-being and fractal art, just by looking at it, can make you feel better. It transcends language.”
