Fractal Reality

"I wonder whether fractal images are not touching the very structure of our brains. Is there a clue in the infinitely regressing character of such images that illuminates our perception of art? Could it be that a fractal image is of such extraordinary richness, that it is bound to resonate with our neuronal circuits and stimulate the pleasure I infer we all feel?" (P. W. Atkins)
Above: fractal fern, computed using an Iterated function system. Trees and ferns are fractal in nature and can be modeled on a computer by using a recursive algorithm. A branch from a tree or a frond from a fern is a miniature replica of the whole: not identical, but similar in nature.