Welcome to the Recursia® LLC, a unique company creating and selling original art, products, creative services, and bespoke commisions featuring the cutting-edge work done by Recursia artists, designers, and photographers. Visit our marketplace to browse our stunning clothing, home decor products, gifts, and canvas prints.

 

Recursia, LLC was conceived and realized through the efforts of family and an eclectic group of close friends whose skills and interests lie at the nexus of science, mathematics, technology, programming,  mathematics, medicine, music, mindfulness meditation, and philosophy of mind.

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According to mathematician Niklaus Wirth: “The power of recursion evidently lies in the possibility of defining an infinite set of objects by a finite statement.” As presented here, Recursia is a starting point that never ends, digital designs unfolding infinitely, like fractals in recurring waves of patterns and colors, enticing your imagination to explore and enjoy the outer boundaries of contemporary, multimedia design.

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The four primary Recursia, LLC guides are fast friends, graduates of Union College in Schenectady, NY and Brown University in Providence, RI. They studied, trained, and work in science, medicine, psychology, and meditation, and are led by Michael W. Karlovich, Recursia, LLC’s Founder, CEO, and Principal Creative Artist.

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In addition to founding Recursia, LLC, Michael has been working for seven years with world-class scientists associated with New York University and the Max Planck Institute in Germany, performing research on visual attention, perception, epilepsy, blindsight, and meditation. His knowledge-base and quantitative and creative skills have enabled Michael to become a key member of these select research teams, whose papers have been published in top scientific journals. 

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As a hobby, Michael has been exploring geometry since he was 14, and since the age of 21 has devoted much time to originating and maturing a suite of techniques, methods, and processes for creating bold, transformative artforms that incorporate daring designs utilizing a vivid, virtual pallet.

 

He also develops novel illusions, like “Crocs and Socks", the subject of a research project that hundreds of thousands of people have viewed online. Briefly, Michael and his scientific mentor, Pascal Wasllich Ph.D., were the first to describe principles used for purposefully producing ambiguous color illusions like "#TheSneakers" and "#theDress", which 'broke the internet in 2015. Despite several years of effort from labs around the world to create an ambiguous color illusion in a principled way, until our report, these types of ambiguous color phenomena were simply arising by accident from poorly illuminated cell phone images being posted to the internet. We are the first to report methods sufficient for causing dramatic disagreement between observers. The project was featured in two Scientific American articles (article 1 & article 2), Buzzfeed, and the as two-part episode of the You Are Not So Smart Podcast - A Celebration of Self-Delusion (episode one​ & episode two).    

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Even the registered logomark of Recursia features a novel visual illusion, called the"Scintilatting Starburst" created Michael. When most people look at a Scintillating Starburst they see illusory rays radiating out from the center of the shape. Like the "Crocs and Socks" project, The Scintillating Starburst was scientifically investigated by Michael and his mentor, Dr. Wallisch. 

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Artforms. Illusions. Math. His idea of fun after midnight. While most people are dreaming, Michael has been fulfilling his ... most recently by creating Recursia, LLC.

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While scientific research remains his primary focus and source of a sense of "ikigai", Michael’s interdisciplinary knowledge of sensation, perception, data science, improvisation, and meditation led him to craft a new way to design shapes, patterns, and even music, utilizing mathematics and a limitless range of colors, two, three, and four-dimensional forms, and combinations that continuously pique observers’ synapses. Virtually everyone who has seen his work instantly forges a link, a personal affinity for his vibrant artforms.

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They often ask, “Can you turn this design into a canvas print, poster, cell phone case, or perhaps a pillow for me…?” Effectively encouraging him to sell his imaginings as a way for them to share these daring realizations with others. On top of this, after gifting family and friends his artwork, they kept asking him to turn his designs into mugs, blankets, and fine art.

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In addition, Michael has shared his designs and ideas with highly-successful, veteran fashion industry leaders; boutique designers; mathematicians; and of course, neuroscientists. All are amazed and encouraging in their own way, with many inspired by his infinite design portfolio, suggesting potential adaptations.

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Bearing this out, strangers of all stripes passing in the street or places like the concourse of Madison Square Garden were inspired to speak up, stopping Michael, asking: "Where on earth did you get that shirt … how can I get one?" After explaining the designs are his personal creations, they often self-identify as willing customers: “Please give me your website.” Or: “Can I have a business card?"

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Until now, there were neither. Michael ignored these calls to action primarily because he was singularly focused on pursuing graduate education and career in cognitive neurophysiology and data science. Plus, he knew nothing about forming or running a business or getting his designs manufactured en masse into various products.

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However, after several successive, anonymous, unscripted, one-off encounters with absolute strangers, Michael suddenly realized no one had ever cold-stopped him to compliment his other shirts … only whilst wearing Recursia designs. Combining this tacit, unforced public endorsement with five years of consistent positive feedback from family and friends, and more recently, trend-spotters, he became confident his artistic creations could easily fit into a variety of mediums that could be widely-valued by people looking for distinctive, creative merch for themselves or as gifts.

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This unusual combination of chance encounters with strangers, praise from fashion leaders, encouragement from family and friends, and valuable support from his close group of friends led Michael to become so inspired and confident that he incorporated Recursia, LLC, in 2019, transforming his dream into reality.

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Welcome to Recursia, LLC … we are pleased you came this far and hope our unique sense of design brings a smile to your face and lift to your life, or whomever you gift.

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