AN EXPERIMENT IN EMERGENCE
As I am writing this at 1am on 1st July 2026 I am now up to 53 portraits in 8 days. What started out as a quick portrait for an artist friend on Instagram has transformed into a slight explosion of creativity (again!) that has now become and exhibition. An exhibition with no end date and spaces on the wall for as yet not completed portraits.
Why RESIST AND REACT? Because that is what I have discovered is the juicy spot between symmetrical perfection and anarchic chaos. It is the ever changing and unexplainable liminal quality that Leake Street bathes in constantly. It is through resistence (good and bad) that we engage with “life” and our reaction through that engagement that makes ”art”, every moment of every day. Life really is a performance piece! It is what you make of it.
I have been on quite the journey from last year in October to this moment, initially collaborating with 55 artists on 110 map paintings for the MIND THE MAP exhibition (soon to share this space with RESIST AND REACT) and then delving deeply into a creative theory with AI that has now come full circle to this point. Time to share what I have “discovered” by actually recreating the theory live in this space.
Like all fledgling theories from those who are not academically trained this theory of mine is more poetry than anything else. Art until proven otherwise. But as I do more portraits you will see the theory emerge in real time. What emerges is whatever emerges (that is the point), to presribe it is to kill it, but to indulge it, that is where the liminality appears and flows. See what I mean about the poetry?! It is already working though, I am reconnecting with old friends, meeting stangers, discovering, playing, learning, sharing and most importantly getting inspired,
The glorious finite expression in an infinite space. So many possibilities, one chance to experience it. There if you want it.
Just like Leake Street, whose walls are a glorious expression of this amazing energy, I now seem to have chosen to get on this arty ride and see how long it will last and trust it at the same time. Just like life really! So if you would like to not only get a free digital art portrait by me (including the full res copy) but also learn about my poetic creative vision then get in touch. All welcome.
Emergence, the moment resistence and reaction merge.
CREATE YOUR OWN EMERGENT ART
EMERGENCE ART/UNIVERSE ;)
So before I explain the dynamics of my fledgling theory (hypothesis?) that is based on the geometry of Leake Street (still makes me smile when I say that to myself, so weird!) I thought I would let you guys have a go yourselves without being bogged down with the finer details. With that in mind do not be put off with what each of the toggles mean, that will be explained at a later date (or you can DM me direct with any questions) For now simply enjoy. Warning, it’s addictive.
To access the menu simply click on and off at the top. To make the emergent art (universe!) more interactive play with the DEATH toggle. To make a crystal (this part still has me scratching my head but it is simply the geometry inherent I guess) make BUD OPEN THRESHOLD zero and max out all the other toggles from FORK CHANCE to TIP END LENGTH and do not have the DEATH toggle highlighted. .
And yes you can save your art for free, high res baby! Oh and if you have a screen you can touch then you can move the emergent art around.
In the coming days I am going to slowly show how the RESIST AND REACT portraits are directly connected to these beautiful pieces and also the MIND THE MAP paintings and the geometry of Leake Street that “apparently” lies underneath. If you happen to be well versed in maths and science and have both an open mind and a healthy skeptical bone then I would really be grateful for your input.
It needs to be pulled apart, prodded and probed but all in good time!