Amorphophallas Titanum
Sub-Title: (Titan Arum)
( Size: 23" x 44" Oils )
Subjects in the painting:
E.W.Powell 12/2003. Painting completed 2003.
Complexity comment:
Amorphous substances fail to maintain a fixed shape, a property that seems to be
unusual but which also seems to apply to all complex systems. These exist far-from-equilibrium and
are subject to constant perturbations from their environment. The result of this is that
they are forced to change their behaviours, they flow around the many semi-stable states or attractors present in the system and additionally change their makeup, dissolving their structure and
rebuilding it into different forms. This organic style 'growth' and self-production allows such systems to adapt to changing environmental conditions and proves to an essential diversity feature which allows them to maximise their fitness and maintain success.
Page Version 1.0 December 2003
