Allelopathic Artists

Oftentimes relationships between artists or creative people is described as either competitive or symbiotic.
I argue that the relatively new term "allelopathy" is a more accurate description of this relationship. Having been at art school and in curated shows I can honestly claim I have experienced this kind of phenomenon both first hand and as an observer.
Allelopathy is either described as a type of, or opposite of, symbiosis. It is categorised by the nature of both parties contribition to the relationship, that is it falls into the rough bracket of Amensalism, in which the association is disadvantageous to one member while the other is not affected. (−party harmed vs 0party neutral) Allelopathy can fall into this category.
The reason I equate the artists with plant life (not meaning to offend!) is that in the cases stated on Wikipedia one organism poisons the others domain to the extent that it has an advantage and therefore can become the dominant type in an environment that would otherwise not specifically be favourable to one type or another. The output of certain artists can take over the domain in such a way: for example, conceptual artists in the latter part of the 20th Century, YBA's. They aren't in direct competition with other artists, they just smother them! Compare the works of Damien Hurst in the art world to the leaf litter of Casuarina equisetifolia that completely suppresses germination of understory plants despite the relative openess of the canopy and ample rainfall*: beneficial factors that may encourage growth of the new emerging artists as well as maintain established ones are like the sun and the rain in the world of nature, and direct parallels can be drawn between the unconscious and the conscious organisms.
I have been in shows where we have an equal or fair share of space in the gallery, and been in group crits where everyone is on equal ground, and yet one artists presence seems to predominate and send the others into shade or infertile ground.


*although not widely acknowledged, Rhododendrons are a plant that is allelopathic - "rhodie-bashing" is a well-known activity for nature conservationists, cutting back the bushes to prevent the soil become sterilised by the dense shade, fallen leaves and the toxic roots. Victorians planted them as beautiful ornamental bushes, little knowing the affect they had. Curators and Buyers of Fine Art take note - todays attractive investment can be tomorrows pest!