In times past, artists gazed upon the starry sky and drifting clouds,
drawing inspiration from the wonders of nature;
yet today, they venture into the vast digital realm to explore boundless creative possibilities.
“AI is playing an interesting role in terms of art and enabling artists to push experimental boundaries,”
says Dr. Jasmin Pfefferkorn, a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Culture and Communication at the University of Melbourne.
“This is something that art has always done.”
[The background artwork is the first AI-generated portrait by Paris-based arts collective Obvious, sold for $432,500]
In a Heartbeat:
Navigating Art's New Lifespan
in the Digital Era
Through ongoing engagement with digital technologies such as AI and 3D animation tools, artists are not just creating art but also redefining its lifespan. These technologies are transforming how art is produced and disseminated, creating a new era of artistic expression.
By Yubin Ma, Yue Jia, Xinyi Zhang
Background photo by Tefiny Tulod on Unsplash
“The acceleration of creation through AI absolutely impacts the intervals between generations of artworks, potentially shortening the lifespan of individual pieces,” says Richard McCoy,
a Melbourne-based New Zealand digital artist whose work focuses on how AI can be used to generate fashion and beauty images in his work using 3D modeling.
Photo by Richard McCoy
Richard elaborates further by describing the preparation process for his latest exhibition, REPEAT.
All artworks created by Richard McCoy from REPEAT
He reveals that two of the works were made entirely by AI. Each took about 20 hours to make.
The remaining 13 works were first hand-painted in watercolor. Then, they were digitized using digital tools to make the final pieces. Each took around 40 hours.
VERMEER'S GIRL by Richard McCoy from REPEAT
He also mentions that preparing for an exhibition used to take about a year but preparing for REPEAT only took three months.
Digital tools played a supportive role in this accelerated process, although his hard work is essential.
THREE FATES by Richard McCoy from REPEAT
He adds that if he were to create an exhibition entirely focused on AI-generated works, he would certainly be able to produce them much faster.
LOLITA by Richard McCoy from REPEAT
Richard believes that artworks’ lifespans are also influenced by art exhibition schedules. Although digital technology can lead to a high volume of artwork production, exhibitions must still follow the pace set by galleries or museums.
“I've only really got that limited space. It doesn’t really matter how much iteration, how many items are being produced”, Richard said. “Many artworks may never have the opportunity to be showcased.”
Yet, he believes that the shortened lifespan of individual pieces should not be viewed solely as a drawback. Instead, it highlights the fluidity and dynamism inherent in contemporary art.
Moreover, Richard shares his views on whether the rapid iteration of technology affects the lifespan of each generation of digital artworks.
“While AI-generated artworks might experience a sort of ‘cycle of obsolescence’ due to the fast evolution of AI technology, this doesn’t necessarily lessen their significance or value.”
Background photo by Peter Gargiulo on Unsplash
The two AI-generated pieces in the REPEAT exhibition aim to highlight AI’s imperfections and provoke a critical examination of how AI shapes gender and sexuality.
“The number and posture of the woman’s fingers in this work are incorrect,” Richard points out.
“I actually really liked these imperfections. They are a marker of time, a marker of AI development. We need these imperfect artworks in order to get to the next level, and to the next level, and to the next level. ”
DEEPFAKE I & II by Richard McCoy from REPEAT; Photo by Xinyi Zhang
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A Dutch art studio SMACK, consisting of three digital artists Ton Meijdam, Thom Snels, and Béla Zsigmond, also uses digital technology as a tool for exploration and expression.
Through computer animation, they create figurative video works and generative art that delve into issues such as digital identity, surveillance culture, and mass behavior.
Photo by SMACK
SMACK initially created Paradise because they were commissioned by the Stedelijk Museum Breda in 2016 to create a contemporary interpretation of The Garden of Earthly Delights as part of the Hieronymus Bosch 500-year anniversary. Commissioned by Colección SOLO, they later developed the side panels, Eden and Hell.
The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516)
In their latest exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, SMACK showcases a digital work titled SPECULUM, composed of three distinct scenes: The Garden of Eden, Paradise, and Hell.
They recreate these scenes as modern cautionary tales reflecting themes of consumerism, technology obsession, and societal corruption.
The Garden of Eden, SMACK describes as California’s ‘Silicon Valley turned inside out’ with the banal temptations of modernity.
Hell illustrates the consequences of corruption through torment and punishment.
Paradise represents a flawed projection of our
digital selves.
Photos by SMACK from Vimeo
Slide to view the Originality VS. Schmoriginality
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After studying each element of the original painting, SMACK uses 3D animation tools to model and render these elements, finally reintegrating them into the overall picture.
They humorously describe their work as ‘Schmoriginality’, implying that while their work claims originality, it is perceived as unoriginal because every element is a reinterpretation of figures from the original painting.
Photos from The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch and SPECULUM by SMACK
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SMACK expressed uncertainty about whether digital technology can extend the lifespan of artworks.
Given that AI is still developing, and the rapid advancement of digital technologies has introduced
increased possibilities to the artistic process, making definitive predictions is challenging.
Background Photo by Peter Gargiulo on Unsplash
“It’s like you’re a child in a candy shop, and then you have all the possibilities. That's really exciting and you go all directions. And that's a really nice place to be.
The only problem is you have to say at the moment now stop and just focus and we go this direction. Otherwise, you stay in that candy shop for a year,” SMACK said.
They think the reason they have the feeling of being lost is partly because “we’re still being taught in the
old-fashioned spirit by romantic teachers, but now we’re touching new technologies.”
Photo by Iwona Castiello d'Antonio on Unsplash
“Symbolically, the pencil was very important for us. But now the eraser has become more important to erase what isn’t important. When you have one idea and make like 20 versions of it by AI, you have a big problem because you have to choose the one that is the best.”
Background photo by Xyla Abella on Unsplash
Speaking of the future of AI and art, Dr. Jasmin Pfefferkorn, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Melbourne’s School of Culture and Communication, points out the crucial role of artists in the current stage. They help translate between humans and AI and foster shared understanding, language, and ethics. She believes the future of AI art involves proactive experimentation and efforts to integrate AI into human systems, aiming for harmonious coexistence with technology.
Dr. Jasmin posts interesting speculation that current AI technologies have not yet achieved artificial general intelligence (AGI), where they could surpass human capabilities across various domains. However, as AI continues to evolve, it might start creating art intended for consumption by other AI, rather than humans.
Photo by Yue Jia
In response to this idea, Richard poses an interesting question:
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