What kind of Future are we Generating?
Episode 8 - On AI Art and how I use it
Greetings,
One of the things I’ve been considering recently is the value and weight of Art. Obviously it’s because I make it, I breathe and I exist within it. I love Art, I love beauty and, especially, I love meaning. I believe meaning and beauty are deeply connected, in addition to Truth, which I’ve discussed in more detail in previous episodes.
As an artist and creator I take art extremely seriously. In the labyrinthic boundaries of modern internet, all semblance of a serious connection between creators and their audience is difficult to find, made only worse by the proliferation of AI-Generated content. Now this is not news anymore and hasn’t been for a while.
The availability of this technology free of cost to literally everyone has resulted, unsurprisingly, in the most logical outcome: the damn thing is everywhere. Google image results, blog posts, Youtube, Social Media (don’t even get me started with the boomers on Facebook sharing AI images of Jesus).
It’s important to state that I’m referring here to the image generating tools, and not the LLMs like ChatGPT.
Okay, so what’s my Point?
I’m not against image generators per se, but if I read your article or watch your video/post or whatever that’s filled with endless AI-generated content that is uncaptioned and untagged, I groan and click away.
You’re either lazy or you don’t care enough to provide me with a meaningful, artistically coherent product. Or, even worse (yet common), you don’t have time and so you rush out whatever’s quickest and easiest, but then you also expect engagement.
Now frankly: do whatever you want. But it’s important for me to state my take on this as we move forward, because I care about you knowing what you will get from me.
I like using the AI stuff to create reference images when necessary, and sometimes I’ve included generated parts in some artworks, such as my artwork of Apollo below:
This image was done through a combination of 3D and 2D in Photoshop. The design for this character doesn’t belong to me, but to the folks over at Hi-Rez Studios responsible for the videogame SMITE. My work was taking the 3D model, posing it and painting on top of it. Now the background behind Apollo is a modified (blur + colour correction) AI-generated image.
You can find the complete Gallery of this work on the Gods Here. At the time of writing, I have used AI-Generated backgrounds in precisely 3 artworks (Apollo, Ah-Puch and Aphrodite).
As I said, I care about you knowing where and how AI is used, so you can make your own decisions and evaluations.
Is AI-Generated work better?
I don’t know. Is it? What do you mean by ‘better’?
Of course, the detail and image quality achieved by the machine can often be infinitely superior to what I, personally, can manage. Here’s an example of the artwork of the city of Alexandria, the main setting for my books.
This first image (included in Meliade) was done entirely by me, in Photoshop. It also uses some 3D reference objects, but they are modified and transformed through 2D work and colour design.
Below is an AI-Generated version:
I could just include the second image in my book and probably get away with it. I mean, it looks nice, sure, but porn stars also look nice. Doesn’t mean there’s any substance underneath. The first image may not look as impressive, but it’s the result of genuine effort.
My Pledge
This isn’t some rant about technology or ‘it used to be better in my day’ - fair enough, the world evolves and it would be stupid not to use technology. But if we treat Art like we treat fast food, then we shouldn’t be surprised that nothing ever feels meaningful anymore, and we all get nihilistic about the world.
I’ll do my best to make sure that I always caption my images, especially the works of other artists I like to include in these newsletters or on my Blog. This is both in an effort to promote their work, as well as communicate my passion and love for art. Digital Art is Art, and deserves to be placed in museums. But it also deserves to be understood and respected in the same way we respect the works of the great masters of yesterday.
Conclusion
AI-Generated Art is not Digital Art, even though it comes through the Digital space. A clear distinction should be made. It would be disrespectful on my part to place AI Art in front of your eyes without any explanation, and expect you’ll just consume it because, after all, you consume anything nowadays, don’t you? This kind of thinking is not worthy of trust.
And trust is what I aim to create between me and You.
Blessings,
