Free FAX Fractals

Free-FAX-Fractals was a long running FAX prank/art project, using facsimile machines to invade office spaces with monochrome mathematical psychedelia. During 1992 and 1993, a list of over 500 fax numbers was compiled while roaming around San Francisco. These numbers were taken mostly from signs and business cards, but many people volunteered their numbers hoping to receive trippy fractal faxes on a weekly basis. Free-FAX-Fractals were fine-resolution, legal-length images, that were laid-out using CorelDRAW! version 4 and driven to the FAX with WinFAX version 3.

This was intended for amusement only, and many recipients were pleased, responding favorably. Fractals from this series appeared in AMEBA clothing prints, Psychic TV promo-record labels, in numerous newspapers/newsletters/flyers/stickers, etc. Even though the images were sent to the White House, the Mayor's Office, and many other public offices, only two complaints were ever logged.

First to scoff at free-art was Skates on Haight, with the hand-written, FAXed reply that read "Don't send that SHIT to our machine". This was a cause for laughter, and for the deletion of them from the list. Far worse, was Bechtel Corporation, who alerted Pacific Bell to the fact that someone was sending "annoying" faxes. When asked what the facsimile content was, or to categorize them as unwanted advertisement, obscene/offensive, political, religious, etc., Bechtel management replied that these faxes were "unique and indescribable".

Although the complaint was a bit vague, Pacific Bell Security contacted Stark Raving Math and demanded that Bechtel be removed from the Free-FAX-Fractal list. Then, after receiving a promise of compliance, the phone-police asked that their office's fax number be INSERTED into the list (they were curious about what was so bothersome, yet couldn't be described). After that, Free-FAX-Fractals continued, without complaint, for almost two years.

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