The astonishing resonances between patterns in nature, microscopic and cosmic

For the ABC Science series Phenomena, the Australian artist and filmmaker Josef Gatti collaborated with the Australian composer Kim Moyes for an amalgamation of art and science exploring ‘naturally occurring patterns, and the fundamental forces of nature that create them’. This episode explores natural surfaces at a range of scales – from the microscopic to the cosmic. Using electron microscopes, Gatti magnifies objects including pollen and tree bark beyond 10,000 times to render the small-scale patterns within them visible. He then contrasts these images with those of landscapes and cloud patterns as viewed from high above. Via Gatti’s breathtaking imagery and Moyes’s pulsating score, the duo invite us to appreciate the fascinating and sometimes strikingly similar patterns nature creates.