Geometric Pattern Creation by John S. Stokes III

V Pattern and...

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One of a zillion images I can create using my Stokes Pattern principles

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Geometric mosaic design services available Airports. Castles. Churches. Courtyards. Monuments. Mosques. Museums. Palaces. Parks. Temples. Terraces. Theatres. Will relocate as needed if the project is big and the pay is good.

Expansions is a fantastic method of pattern generation I invented in 1965 and developed subsequently. My method uncovered a startling array of beautiful patterns and geometric processes. The patterns range from highly ordered to random, with the first ordered pattern (Line Pattern), discovered in 1965, the first pattern with order and randomness (Egg Pattern), discovered in 1967 and the first highly random pattern (Triangles), discovered in 1973 shortly after first computerizing Expansions.

The majority of the patterns "grown" over the years according to the Expansions methodology are two dimensional, while some are "one dimensional" in that they grow in an "advancing line", similar to some forms of cellular automata. My methods could be used to create three dimensional patterns as indicated by a 3D rule based structure I once constructed from beaded blocks.

The publication of Dr. Stephen Wolfram's major work in year 2002, "A New Kind of Science", has renewed my interest in Expansions. I take exception to Wolfram's historical review of patterns which indicates that there is no evidence that rule based pattern generation of the type I developed (and the types he subsequently investigated and developed), with particular reference to random sequences, appeared in human art prior to computers. As I first developed my work by hand on paper prior to ever seeing or owning a computer or reading about cellular automata or similar work, I feel that my work must be very original! My Egg Pattern is proof that such patterns did appear, and I have a photo of a manually drawn rendition, timestamped 1968, see Egg Pattern.

Note: I sold a copy of my black and white Expansions software to Dr. Wolfram in 1990, and in the accompanying manual, in the preface, I wrote "Expansions, a Stokes Pattern Generator, is a program based on discoveries I made in the art and science of pattern generation during the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's. The principle premise of Expansions is that beautiful patterns may be designed and grown based on an easily definable series of geometric shapes and their associated rules of growth". The preface was written on August 19th, 1989. As my original work didn't merit even a footnote in "A New Kind of Science", I present my work here, with renewed vigor.

At this website you will find a range of Stokes Pattern derived imagery in the Gallery section, and a discussion of the early patterns and the methodology I developed in the History section.