Breaking art: Synthesizing abstract expressionism through image rearrangement

We present an algorithm that creates interesting abstract expressionist images from segments of an input image. The algorithm operates by first segmenting the input image at multiple scales, then redistributing the resulting segments across the image plane to obtain an aesthetic abstract output. Larger segments are placed using neighborhood-aware descriptors, and smaller segments are arranged in a Poisson disk distribution. In our thorough analysis, we show that our results score highly according to several relevant aesthetic metrics, and that our style is indeed abstract expressionism. The results are visually appealing, provided the exemplar has a somewhat diverse color pallette and some amount of structure. • We present a novel algorithm to synthesize attractive abstract images. • We generate abstract expressionist images similar to real ones by aesthetic measures. • Our results differ visually and metrically from their most similar existing artworks.