Fractals, repeating patterns that are similar at different scales, are a popular choice for art on paper on flat screens - but artist Tom Beddard has taken them into the third dimension.

"I have a fascination with the aesthetics of detail and complexity that is the result of simple mathematical or algorithmic processes," Beddard says. "For me the creative process is writing my own software and scripts to explore the resulting output in an interactive manner. The 3D fractals are generated by iterative formulas whereby the output of one iteration forms the input for the next. The formulas effectively fold, scale, rotate or flip space. They are truly fractal in the fact that more and more detail can be revealed the closer to the surface you travel.” However, he notes, "3D fractals are even more computationally expensive than 2D fractals. You might have a hundred steps into the scene and at every step you have to calculate the fractal equation, whereas with a 2D fractal you only have to do it once."

"The fascinating aspect is where combinations of parameters can combine to create structural 'resonances' of extraordinary detail and beauty—sometimes naturally organic and other times perfectly geometric," Beddard says. "But then like a chaotic system it can completely disappear with the smallest perturbation."

Beddard, who works under the name subblue, is using his website to encourage people to sign up to get them to donor registration lists. His sister was recently diagnosed with leukemia and requires a bone marrow transplant.

H/T My Modern Metropolis