An exhibition of work by Rachel Heard

Emergence, from the Latin root emergere, meaning “bring to light”

From Emergence by Rachel Heard

My work is inspired by natural phenomena and organic patterns, involving research around how creativity and our relationship with the environment affects our well-being.

Creatively I am exploring the possibilities of medium, technique and composition in paint, subjects varying from studying the trails of insects to vast expressive landscapes. For example, I find beauty in looking closely at the detail of a leaf, finding these patterns reflected in the shadows of a branch over a river and in the formation of the river course itself. In this way, the synchronicity between the functions of microscopic organisms and the bigger systems that are formed by them collectively, becomes apparent.

In philosophy, systems theory, science, and art, emergence occurs when an entity is observed to have properties and behaviours its parts do not have on their own, these only emerge when the parts interact as part of a wider whole. The relationship between a system and its environment becomes vital to this process. Like a flock of birds, emergent behaviour arises spontaneously due to (often simple) interactions of the constituent parts with each other and the surrounding environment. Here, there is no “leader” deciding on the behaviour of the system.

I have considered this understanding in terms of my creative practice, as well as the natural environment and the current climate crisis. The body of work created for this exhibition is the culmination of many interactions with nature and people, who have helped it come to fruition, for which I am very grateful. 

I'm captivated by the seasons and in particular this time of year is marked by growth and change, where things that were once hidden become revealed, a sense of which I have tried to capture within the paintings of this new collection.

https://www.rachelheard.com/