Reductions in Emergence

Heart in the Cosmos

Heart on a sleeve

Commercial appeasement

The starry, romantic cardiac annomily is the result of two colliding galaxies. It happens in all shapes and sizes!

Happy Valentines.

Emergence is the philosophical debate that covers the old axiom that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. One interpretation of this is, that there is something else apart from the constituants of an entity. That in unity, entirety becomes a greater force than a collection. It is a popular and enduring philosophical and scientific debate. I find it fascinating and inspirational.

Humans as individuals are complicated and unique assemblages. (Stating the bleedin` obvious!)

Joined in force as a race there is something more than atoms and molecules. More than physical, more than can be explained by equation and reasoning.

Phenomenological and emergent concepts like interconnection and unity are important issues that inform my practice. The philosphical opposite is reductionism. Here is a link to a lecture on the Royal Society web site, that I really enjoyed.

The sympoisum on artistic collaborations I attended this week provided emergent food for thought. One lecturer suggested that the current increaseing trend for collaboration in the art world, is a form of direct response to the decrease of unity through direct political action, that requires mass physical presence. There is a vast increase in the trend for internet networking, and a massive increase in social grouping and political activism through internet sites. Previously, membership to a specific group or party required attendance and physical affilliation, sometimes even a physical image or uniform. This provided identity, support and companionship. It is interesting to watch the enthusiasm with which the public will exersize the right to vote commercially through the household media, but struggle with the politcal apathy rife in the U.K. at this time. Even groups such as the womens institue have suffered with membership numbers. As a race we need communication and contact with each other, thats not news. What is interesting is the manifestation of various substitutes, which attempt to compensate for physical alienation.