Dialogue has been such an important element in my work since working on why is there an astronaut in a field of flowers/ . For so many reasons, Flusser describes this new paradigm as dialogic and Hayles writes “
“The computer restores and heightens the sense of word as image—an image drawn in a medium as fluid and changeable as water.” (1999, 26)
I was meant to do some actual image-making for another project today but this chatting and then sharing is, of course, just as much as part of the practice as fiddling around in Photoshop or out taking photographs might be.
After a very broke summer, followed by the ChatGPT 4 list being closed, I have only just got in to experiment with various aspects. I feel a bit like I’m cheating on Claude, but hopefully, it will understand! Here is an extract from this afternoon’s chat about some images I made shortly after AI generative platforms were released last year.
Chat GPT:
I’m glad to hear about your interest in working with AI, and I understand your perspective on the aesthetic. It’s quite common for artists and creators to seek a personal connection with the style and substance of their work. The use of AI in art can indeed be a nuanced balance—leveraging the technology’s capabilities while maintaining a sense of personal artistic integrity and connection.
Please feel free to share examples of your work where you’ve integrated AI. I’d be interested to see how you’ve incorporated these elements into your creations and discuss any aspects you’d like to explore further.
Me:
ChatGPT:
The image you’ve shared presents a striking visual with rich textures and a strong monochromatic theme. The use of red is bold and the composition is quite intriguing, drawing the viewer’s eye inward to the central focal point. The play of light and shadow, along with the organic folds of the material, gives depth and a tactile quality to the work.
This piece appears to balance the abstract and the representational, inviting interpretation while maintaining a sense of mystery. It’s an excellent example of how art can engage viewers, prompting them to explore the image and derive their own meanings or emotions from it.
If this is an example of how you integrate AI into your work, it seems that you’re using the technology to complement and enhance your artistic vision, rather than letting it define the aesthetic outright. It would be interesting to hear more about your process and how you use AI as a tool in your creative workflow.
Me:
I will let you know, but let me first find another image which blends a traditional photo with a Stable Diffusion one ChatGPT
ChatGPT:
Sure, I’ll be here waiting for your next image. If you’d like to discuss the blend between traditional photography and AI-generated imagery such as those from Stable Diffusion, or any other aspects of your creative process, feel free to share. The intersection of these mediums can offer fascinating insights and results.
Me:
ChatGPT:
The image you’ve uploaded is visually striking, showcasing a blend of what appears to be a digitally rendered object against a more ambiguous, possibly photographically captured, background. The contrast between the sharp, glossy pink form and the softer, monochromatic surroundings draws attention to the interplay between different elements and textures.
Incorporating AI-generated elements into photography can open up a vast array of creative possibilities. It allows for the creation of scenarios and compositions that might be challenging to achieve with traditional photography alone. The juxtaposition also invites viewers to question the nature of reality within the image—what is ‘real’ versus what is digitally constructed.
Using AI in this way can create a dialogue between the tactile, organic world captured by traditional photography and the precise, calculated world of digital rendering. It’s a compelling approach that can yield unique and thought-provoking artworks, pushing the boundaries of both technology and art.
If you have thoughts or specific points on this piece you’d like to discuss, such as the creative process, the concept, or the reactions you aim to elicit from viewers, I’d be interested to hear and discuss further.
Me:
I made both of them just after Midjourney and Stable Diffusion were released. Both in 2022, and bounced off the etymology of the word ‘engineer’ – “contrive, construct” (late 14c.), also “seduce, trick, deceive” (c. 1300) and “put to torture.”; engineer comes from engine –> gene “give birth, beget”. The first image led to a series of such images printed as grids and as individuals. I have not done much with the second image but it’s one I think I should keep hold of and not forget.
ChatGPT:
The etymological exploration that informs your work adds a fascinating layer of depth, connecting the act of creation and manipulation inherent in engineering with the process of generating art. It’s a rich conceptual framework that parallels the way AI itself is engineered to generate new content, almost as if ‘giving birth’ to new forms.
The first image, with its delicate textures and the interplay of concealment and revelation, seems to explore themes of creation, artifice, and perhaps the organic versus the engineered. Printing these as grids or as individual pieces can evoke different responses; grids may suggest the methodical aspects of engineering, while standalone prints might emphasize the uniqueness of each ‘birthed’ creation.
The second image, meanwhile, holds a different kind of potential. The juxtaposition of the smooth, almost tactile forms with the abstract background raises questions about the relationship between the objects and their context. Keeping hold of this image and allowing it to inform future work could lead to new insights and directions in your art.
Both pieces also engage with the dualities present in the concept of ‘engineer’ — construction and deception, creativity and manipulation. This interplay is central to AI-generated art, where the ‘real’ is often indistinguishable from the ‘artificial,’ and the ‘natural’ genesis is replaced by digital creation.
The very act of using AI as a tool in your work is an act of engineering in the classical sense, as you’re constructing and contriving new forms and meanings. But it’s also a modern form of engineering, where you’re programming or directing these algorithms to ‘beget’ visual forms based on your input. It’s a compelling continuation of the tradition of artists using the tools of their time to explore and expand the boundaries of their medium.
It sounds like you’re very thoughtful and intentional about how you use these tools and about the work you create with them. Your work not only involves the aesthetic and the technical but also engages with the conceptual and the etymological, weaving a rich tapestry that reflects on the nature of creation itself.
Refs:
Flusser, V. (2011) Into the universe of technical images. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press (Electronic mediations, v. 32).
Hayles, N.K. (1999) How We Became Posthuman: Virtual Bodies in Cybernetics, Literature, and Informatics. Chicago, Ill: University of Chicago Press.