Symbiosis: The Art of Collaboration

Symbiosis Comes to Life

The exhibition Symbiosis: A living Field opened on the 7th October at Rogue Pop-Up Gallery, Redfern. Mostly showing collaboration work between me and Fred Braat, it is an outcome of months of joint effort in preparation, experimentation and shared creative activity.

The Origins - From Theory to Practice

Earlier studies in 2024-25 led me to theories such as BoJaRaIKaDaFuBu (an exploration of chakras) and BoLego (an evolving panpsychist theory concerned with patterning, scale and subjectivity). These had explored fundamental principles of participation, relationship, and interpretation. After gaining confidence in these theories, I was driven to try to put these fundamental principles into practice. Namely two axioms i had found within this work.

• approach with less control, more understanding

• allow for evolution of plans and ideas.

These principles don’t always come naturally. I often had to consciously remind myself of these axioms rather than insisting on any predetermined outcome.

From this I began with the idea for an exhibition with collaborative focus as a playground for practice.

The Experiment

The collaboration work started with a larger number of people. The original idea was to have a show of sculptural works made in collaboration between me and a number of others including Fred.

For one reason or another, the other participants fell into the background of the energy created by the work me and Fred were doing. I decided by March 2026 to simplify this show to work by the two of us, instead of a more complicated network of artists.

Putting principles into practice through interaction

One of the key strengths of the collaborations between Fred and I is that Fred had explored similar queries and found theoretical structures of his own to do with relationship between self and world. I found these had aligned with and helped to inform my own BoJaRaIKaDaFuBu ideas. Particularly when he shared with me a book titled “Quantum Gods”, which described connections between elements of the tarot, chakras, the kabbalah, the planets, quantum physics and so on. I was struck by this book and the deep philosophical alignments between Fred and I. Already, we had much to offer each other. The experiment to “put ideas into practice” evolved into something more like a dance with complementary and sometimes challenging ideas. A dynamic exchange between two people each bringing their own interpretations and understandings. It had become much more alive than I had predicted.

The Creative Process - Making together

Fred and I started with ideas for sculpture, but moved into painting, mostly to accommodate my own skill set. Fred, as a multimedia artist was generously flexible to allow the focus of the work to shift from the three dimensional sculpture to the two dimensional canvas and paper to keep me in a zone of relative confidence and comfort. A number of sculptures were made, which weren’t shown in the final exhibition, but are still part of the collaborative story.

Our materials and painting/drawing supports were supplied by us both and most work was done inside my studio from the end of warmer months, through winter and into early spring. Warmer days of the start of the collaborative project generally had us painting the larger works, whereas the smaller drawings were more the focus in colder days, where we gravitated toward less physical activity and the warmth of a heater. Most of the work was done on floor while sitting on the studio rug, except for the larger paintings.

We worked primarily at the same time on the same work. Sometimes in silence, sometimes in lively debate or reflective storytelling, but often in discussion about the elements on the page. On occasion one would finish a work without the other present, but works were mainly found to be finished through consultation with eachother.

Our creative decisions were communicated through elemental and systemic language describing movements of the eye, feelings created by marks and transformations of energy on the page through line or attention. We would communicate our pareidolia in the abstract marks, and sometimes that pareidolia became story, which we both might follow for a time.

From Studio to Gallery

It took a bit of shifting gears to get from our rhythm of making art together to the organisational necessities of exhibition preparation. Despite the gear shift our energy was maintained, our individual jobs were assigned and completed - Fred took responsibility of framing, and I took on mounting the paper works. WIth a bit of floor planning and a touch of interior design, the exhibition came into fruition beautifully.

A surprising element for me was how the addition of a chalkboard for collaborative work between visitors at the gallery had become an incredible buffer between conversation with eachother and looking at the work. This blunted the edges of anxiety fuelled socialising between people on the opening day. The energy was buzzing and calm, like a flower garden in spring. Effectively, the exhibition has allowed the collaboration to extend beyond just me and Fred.

Reflections - A Living Field

The axioms I had started with from theoretical works had stood strong throughout my experience with and beyond this work. To approach with more understanding and less control has been a saving grace in many a challenging situation throughout this experience.

The plans and visions we made together as a working partnership always required flexibility within context of the moment, especially while in the act of the art-making.

The playground for practice was not only mine, it was Freds too. Built by us both from our own independant explorations and life experiences, which happened to align sometimes like the way two eyes are needed to give a sense of depth.

What I have learnt is that the rewards of collaboration can be infinite and incredibly effective in personal and even spiritual growth.

Many thanks to Fred Braat for his continued focus and incredible mind.