Movements in Art History - Expanding Consciousness

There are many kindred threads of inquiry that can be observed happening within our community of artists in Web3. I find this a confirmation of the strength of our movement and validity of its future relevance.

In the canon of art history and its associated artistic movements are intersections between artists who come to be either grouped together through curation, hindsight of critics or art historians. Often but not always, these artists know each other, brought together through the commonality of their work and research. They become comrades, friends and at times even rivals. They are often known to have collected each other’s work, exhibited together and shared intellectual and creative exchange. I see the same things happening very presently in parts of our collective movement that has come to expression alongside the rise of Blockchain technology.

A most exciting thing that becomes apparent, especially when casting one’s eye back to the movements of art history, is that such creative convergence often marks great moments of the expansion of human consciousness and the understanding of reality as it is known. I believe, through my observation of a just a relatively small community of artists and their work within this wider movement, supported by a group of discerning collectors, curators and builders, that we are occupying the cusp of a recurrence of such a phenomenon.

Diid and I have spoken around concepts of energy and humanity and the greater expressions of this and agree in the importance of stimulating a wider discourse on these concepts though our art and inviting others into this conversation.

1. Gina Choy (2024) “Koan —”, acrylic on 320 gsm cold press cotton rag.

2. Diid (2024) Title Unknown, from the series “Tension”, plotted acrylic ink on cotton paper.

These two kindred artworks act as a rich springboard for such a discourse - one machine-generated and the other hand-generated. Both are expressions of our humanity and its condition. Both are of this time and place that also trace other temporalities. Both full of the trembling breath of life.

These pieces individually and collectively point to philosophical questions that are being pondered at a far greater scale than that of just Diid and I. Through the many viewpoints of our collective minds and creative outputs we are opening a doorway to new insights in human consciousness.

1. @0xdiid (from the series Tension) @vertufineart

2. @GinaChoy_ (“Koan —” from the series KOAN ) col. @Theopenmindet @superrare

Art is philosophy. Art is science. Art is pioneering thought and perception. Art is the way forward.

Nature as Source.

The Power of Participatory Art - The Floating Exchange

This article touches on the power of participatory art —a concept central to my own art installations. “The Floating Exchange" an ongoing conceptual project which I started in 2014 invites audience interactions to transform the piece, adding layers of meaning beyond my original design.

Hundreds of tiny handmade porcelain fish shimmer in "The Floating Exchange" —one of my most exciting long-time projects. Created as an interactive component for my solo exhibition, Itadakimasu (2014), this installation explores how our individual actions can collectively transform the natural world - for better or worse. The title "The Floating Exchange" plays on the concept of currency and suggests that money is not the only currency at stake in the pursuit of success or growth in life.

Each porcelain an fish was hand-cast over a three-month residency in Jingdezhen, China. My journey to the historical porcelain village was a chance to learn traditional painting on porcelain ceramic & slip-casting techniques, in the same place where Ai Weiwei.crafted his inspiring "The Unilever Series" for the Tate Moderm.

The installation is a bamboo ship hull adorned with glittering porcelain fish, each suspended by a silken antique thread. At first this pristine work breathed with life. It was entrancing, gently swaying in response to any movement from the audience and they drifted in. The glazed surface of the fish caught and shifted in the light, like a natural murmuration. It was so peaceful. After the exhibition was formally opened, the room full, the audience were invited to take a fish, tying something in return—personalizing the piece in ways I could never predict or control. The atmosphere was joyful and a little frenzied! I felt excited and a little trepidation to see what this beautiful object would become as a result of the exchange.

Some came prepared with offerings; others reached for items on hand, rummaging in pockets and handbags. Together, these tokens transformed "The Floating Exchange" into a collective story of place and time - an ephemeral time stamp. This act of exchange was a reflection of our relationship with nature: each taking and giving back, shaping our world through the cumulative.

This art experience symbolizes how individual choices can leave an impact, whether small or profound, and how these actions form a collective narrative that has lasting effects on our environment. It’s a reminder of the delicate balance between what we take and what we leave.

This installation is the first iteration in what I intend to become ongoing International experience that gathers force and collects ephemera from around the world - touching hearts and minds in a collective global experience. Although "The Floating Exchange" launched 10 years ago, there will come a time for this work to continue. My plan for this work it to have iterations of this experience travel the world with the final exhibition culminating with the collection of ephemera - a world wide global footprint and shared experience. My dream is for this final iteration to become part of The Asia Pacific Triennial - a seminal exhibition that happens every three years right here on my doorstep at QAGOMA (Queensland Gallery of Modern Art).

Cultural Complexity and the Fractal Nature of Chinese Calligraphy

Over the past decade, my work has focused on how traditional Chinese calligraphy techniques and brushstroke algorithms can capture the essence of nature. Delving into generative art has further enriched this exploration. I have been slow to discuss my work and research in its entirety, especially before publication. However, as I begin to consider this novel way of framing and explaining traditional Chinese calligraphy as a systems-based art, it feels timely to open a greater discourse.

Nature, by its very design, operates according to its own algorithms, evident in fractal patterns and complex formations that reveal intricate rhythms. Benoit Mandelbrot, the pioneer of fractal geometry, famously noted that nature’s visual splendour is composed of “the same shapes repeated everywhere, yet each repetition is slightly different. Compared to true fractals, its structures are more varied, its harmonies richer, and its surprises more surprising”.

Traditional Chinese calligraphy, with its origins rooted in the natural world, mirrors this fractal and algorithmic nature. Each character is formed by fundamental brushstrokes repeated in various iterations, adhering to specific rules to create the whole. These same strokes also serve as the foundation for traditional Chinese landscape painting.

In 2017, Wen Xing wrote The Fractal Nature of Chinese Calligraphy, a concise article that supports my creative research by similarly identifying Chinese calligraphy as algorithmic. Both my scholarly and practice-led investigation and Wen Xing's discourse pioneer the idea that Chinese calligraphy can be understood through the lens of its primordial algorithm. To exemplify this, Wen Xing presents a diagram (pictured above) of a Barnsley fern at its 12th, 8th, and 2nd iterations in relation to the Chinese character 永(Yong). 永 (Yong), meaning "permanence", is uniquely significant because it embodies the eight fundamental strokes common to traditional Chinese calligraphic writing and painting. Barnsley's fern, named after British mathematician Michael Barnsley, is described in his book Fractals Everywhere as a fractal and self-similar set—a mathematically generated pattern reproducible at any scale.

The diagram of the Barnsley fern in Wen Xing's article reflects the capacity for Chinese calligraphic strokes to embody nature’s innate algorithm. This is also evident in my 2017 body of paintings on rice paper and linen, Liminal Space, and further developed in my subsequent collections Infinity Matrix and Infinity Landscapes. These works explore traditional Chinese calligraphy techniques and brushstrokes as sophisticated algorithms that embody nature. This is exemplified in my Untitled work-in-progress (2023-2024) held in parallel with a bamboo forest I photographed in Bali, (pictured below). However, there is far more to this exploration than that.

There is a reciprocity evident in the capacity of this ancient artfrom to reveal 天理 (li)—the unseen or veiled cosmic truth within nature.

While the diagram of the Barnsley fern cited by Wen Xing employs computer assistance, my paintings are more traditionally executed. They are meticulously generated calligraphic iterations made by hand, often on a large scale. In my work, time, attention, and the human body and mind are essential elements deeply embedded in the creative process. My research recognizes a dual reciprocity inherent in the discipline of traditional Chinese calligraphy and painting, both for the artist and the audience. There is a reciprocity evident in the capacity of this ancient artform to reveal 天理 (li)—the unseen or veiled cosmic truth within nature. Additionally, 天理 (li) manifests in the continuity of ritual processes and methodologies of traditional Chinese painting, which I assert in my research as cultivating the individual through disciplined practice at a bio-mechanical level.

In examining this ancient Chinese field of knowledge through the lens of its systems, as a generative art algorithmic in nature, and employing it in contemporary contexts and practices, it becomes crucial to take into account the limitations of such categorisation and classification. Wen Xing importantly presents Chinese calligraphy as more than just an art form, stating it is "a cosmology and a philosophy". While the strokes of traditional Chinese calligraphy may appear elegantly simple on the surface, it is vital that this ancient source of knowledge is not divorced from its intricate cultural, philosophical, and historical contexts. Acknowledging the complexity of its traditional foundations and its deep connections to cultural and philosophical roots is fundamental. Wen Xing highlights the significance of the I-Ching, the Fuxi Sixty-four Hexagram Diagram, selected trigrams, tetragrams, hexagrams, the Cantorian triadic bar, and the cultural concept of Yin Yang. Similarly, my own work devotes significant time and attention to appreciating traditional Chinese painting through the complex conceptual framework that underpins it.

The importance of a deep and rigorous understanding of this cultural knowledge also underscores the necessity of exercising caution against its misappropriation and oversimplification. This topic is extensively discussed in my thesis and is part of a broader dialogue within contemporary scholarly discourse on traditional Chinese art, particularly how it is interpreted and utilized outside its traditional contexts. It is important to state that I do not wield the calligraphic strokes lightly, nor do I speak of the philosophy that underpins them with anything but great respect and reverence.

Serious consideration of the intent and outcomes of any theoretical and creative dialogue around ancient fields of knowledge and associated cultural practices is required. While my creative practice works within the tradition of Chinese painting, its purpose, alongside my broader scholarly research, is to embody, illuminate, and fortify the Chinese painting tradition and the incredible knowledge it embodies. Most importantly, the theoretical and academic elements of my work will be rigorously assessed and scrutinized by experts in the field before being accepted as a valid contribution. This is one of the reasons—aside from being unpublished intellectual property—why I am conservative in sharing my work in its entirety. The practice of rigor in academia has been instrumental in shaping my creative outputs and the way I present and discuss them—slowly and with due consideration.

There is a responsibility in the rapid pursuit to develop, interpret, understand, and enrich fields of knowledge, ensuring that cultural heritage does not become mere fodder for the future. Art is a modality of inquiry that can speak with great authority. Navigating this reality as a creative community, especially one that widely self-publishes, is crucial.

Regarding the subject of the fractal nature of Chinese calligraphy, there is cultural and intellectual complexity that must be considered, well beyond a tweet or even a well-penned article. As new territory is traversed and novel ways of thinking about and sharing knowledge emerge, there is much validity in slowness and giving occasion for both pause and due diligence.

Balancing Promotion and Protection: Enhancing Attribution in the Digital Age

Artists often hold rich reservoirs of intellectual property within their practices, processes, and outcomes. When artists share their work, methodologies and processes on Twitter (X) and other social media platforms for self-promotion they potentially expose their intellectual property to a broader audience without guaranteed attribution. How can we effectively promote our work online while ensuring it remains properly credited?

For millennia, copying and imitation have been integral to artistic practices across various cultures, but it was in the early 20th century that appropriation gained prominence as a creative technique within avant-garde modernist movements. Appropriation certainly has a valid place in art practice, as exemplified by Elaine Sturtevant's Repetitions (a detail above). Sturtevant's (1924-2014) deliberate replicas of works by renowned male artists were a feminist critique. Known as the "Mother of appropriation art", Sturtevant asserts that while appropriationists view copying as a commentary on "loss of originality", for her it represents "the power of thought". Conceptual artists continue to use copying as a modality for artistic commentary and visual discourse, however this is not an open justification for unrestricted use of anyone's work.

The continued globalization of the twentieth century has enhanced information transmission to a whole new level. Poet Kenneth Goldsmith, author of Unoriginal Genius, contends that in our digital era, the vast availability of information makes true originality unattainable. In this context, Goldsmith believes that artists should welcome the open exchange of ideas and let go of the ideal of exclusive ownership of an aesthetic or style. However it could be argued that this glorification of numerous appropriation practices effectively serves a single purpose: the digital aesthetic market and the commodification of art. This however, is a wider narrative for artistic discourse that offers no simple solution and is beyond the scope of this short article.

With the rise of digital technology transforming how we create, share, and engage with content, intellectual property rights become more relevant than ever. Intellectual property rights are more than just legal frameworks; they play a crucial role in fostering innovation, ensuring fair competition, and driving economic growth. If we value the power of thought in art, as Sturtevant did, and appreciate art as a discipline of inquiry that can attract (and maintain) leading talents and foremost thinkers, grasping the importance of IP rights becomes increasingly vital.

The field of academia provides an established model for protecting research and inquiry standards, that clearly delineates best practices and methodologies. This includes the formal publication of work to ensure proper attribution and protection and importantly ethical standards of practice. Ethical considerations in art are just as necessary and relevant as they are in academia. Ethics are the shared principles that guide artists to create responsibly. They encompass a wide range of issues, including respect for cultural context and intellectual property rights.

Blockchain technology provides a level of provenance through the process of minting and metadata. This revolutionary technology offers us the opportunity to move forward positively. However, advancing the visual arts requires a more comprehensive framework to ensure robust recognition and protection of artistic contributions. The use of this technology must be enriched with accessible opportunities for artists to formally document and share creative contributions. These modalities must also be visible and widely recognized by cultural and institutional bodies. Without such cultural ephemera, artists who share their work predominantly through social channels, risk having the vital findings of their life’s practice copied without proper attribution.

The Arts as a discipline has a long way to go still. To attract the brightest minds and ensure they can sustain lifelong careers, we must create an environment that offers support and recognition, enabling practitioners to deepen and enrich their discoveries while protecting their intellectual property.

Until this is firmly established artists need to be discerning. As they navigate the space between social media and institutional recognition, pioneering self-promotion and autonomy, artists must tread carefully, considering how extensively they share their secret sauce and its results, balancing the opportunities for exposure with its potential risks.

The question to ask as we move forward is how best to ensure one’s work is both properly acknowledged and protected in an increasingly open digital landscape?

Image: Elaine Sturtevant, Repetitions - Warhol Flowers (1990)