Neurogenerative Room

A Collective Emergent Ritual of Painting and Perception

In early 2024, James Neville (with the help of his creative partners) conceived and staged the first iteration of a series of  pioneering collaborative painting events entitled Neurogenerative Room, at Parama C’s Out of the Blue Gallery. Demonstrating the power of creative play, the installation brought together a small group of artists in a day-long “neurogenerative ritual” to reshape their environment into a large gestural abstract painting. Participants included Markelle Valdez, Dolly Levels, John Bailes and Lauren W. Warford.

James’s approach to painting extends beyond the physical act. Inspired by his own journey of recovery through artistic practice following a traumatic brain injury, the Neurogenerative Room is intended to create a space within which a group psychedelic ritual of creative play can evolve. Rather than a conventional exhibition, the event functioned as an immersive shared space of painting, ritual, and curiosity. Participants moved in conversation with one another’s playful intuitions, combining colors, shapes, and evolving forms; at times speaking, and often responding through gesture and attention.

The finished mural stood as a testament to this collective emergence: a swirling, dynamic composition that shifted in appearance under changing light and was accompanied by sound and participant reflections. The gallery later hosted a public event where the work was illuminated, music played, footage shown, and creators spoke about their experience in the space. As Zen Priest John Bailes later described it, the process unfolded in “waves or pulses” of engagement: each artist contributing then yielding, forming an interwoven tapestry of visual presence and shared rhythm.

At its core, the project sought not only to produce a painting but to render visible the ongoing, ever-shifting dialogue between perception, presence, and creative interrelation; to cultivate a space where painting became a living conversation rather than a static object.

Michou Olivera, a Trauma-Informed Psychedelic Guide of the UMass Amherst Multidisciplinary Psychedelic Club says: “The worlds of art and psychedelics can come together in a safe space to create a beautiful union of healing, enrichment, transcendence, and discovery. Vulnerable expression allows us to connect with what is sacred and meaningful within ourselves. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to James for his vision, and for creating this space for others to explore and enrich themselves."