Art & Research

The first principles engine: systems thinking and commercial depth.

Together with my commercial work I'm also an artist and systems researcher. My creative practice is the First Principles Engine that gives me the proprietary insight to design resilient operational structures for both commercial and creative ventures.

The core of my creative research focuses on:

• Understanding the architecture of creative production systems.
• How value and meaning are created, distributed, and converted.
• Building sustainable growth engines for the arts and complex creative environments.

Causal Loops: The Lifecycle of Creative Practice

This diagram maps the Artist's Causal Loop, the perpetual feedback system I argue all artists work within. Acknowledging and actively managing this system allows for a sustainable, high-impact practice that integrates financial, cultural, and intellectual capital.

Research Focus

• Systemic Insight: Gained through long-cycle artistic enquiry to identify non-obvious patterns in market behaviour and organisational function. This feeds directly into my Operational Capacity.
• Value Translation: Researching the conversion process, how cultural capital (meaning, mission) is converted into measurable financial and social outcomes. This forms the basis of the Value Loops in my commercial models.
• Creative Depth & Discipline: Applying the methodical rigour of a serious artistic practice to execution, ensuring all strategies are built from elemental necessity, not industry convention.

Credentials

Selected Works:

Academic: MFA (Goldsmiths, 2026 - Present), BA (Hons) Fine Art (Central Saint Martins 2002 - 2005).

Action

I advise institutions, non-profits, and complex creative projects. Enquire about commissions, strategic advisory, or anything else that's out of the box here: contact@marcuslions.com