The software uses “computational methods to characterize the low-level numerical differences between original Pollock drip paintings and drip paintings done by others attempting to mimic this signature style,” says Inderscience Publishers. Lior Shamir of Lawrence Technological University in Michigan, USA, was intrigued by the a revolutionary artistic style of dripping paint on a horizontal canvas and has turned to computational methods to characterize the low-level numerical differences between original Pollock drip paintings and drip paintings done by others attempting to mimic this signature style. This isn't the first time that computer science has intruded into the world of fine art. Shamir points out that his software is publicly available and could be used to analyze the work of other artists in verifying authenticity or revealing the fakes. The program isn’t perfect—but, reportedly, it has a pretty solid 93 percent accuracy. (For the curious, these include Chebyshev statistics, a statistical analysis of the Fourier transform, Haralick textures, and Zernike polynomials taken from other image transforms.) Now, a machine vision approach described in a forthcoming issue of International Journal of Arts and Technology has demonstrated 93 percent accuracy in spotting true Pollocks.
– How do you tell whether a canvas splattered with paint is the work of Jackson Pollock—or a fake? Collectors have been tricked in the past, but a new computer program could prevent such misfortune, the Smithsonian reports. The software, created by a researcher at Lawrence Technological University, was at first intended to examine medical images, Ars Technica reports. It looks at the paintings from a numerical perspective, making minute examinations that the human eye can't handle, according to a post at Eureka Alert. Once a painting is scanned, the program examines texture, color, shapes, and more. It picks up on 4,024 different numerical attributes of the painting—things like the way dripping paint creates fractals, the press release notes. It's 93% accurate, and anyone can use it: You can download the program right here. What's more, it would seem to prove that even if Pollock's art looks easy to copy, it's actually done in a specialized style, the Smithsonian notes. (Scientific techniques, however, can help to recreate it.)