Art Explained: Projection
Despite the effort of an artist to maintain creative autonomy, artists often find that the development of their craft contains much resonance of previous creative ideas. Sometimes the artist will unknowingly place these preexisting ideas within a different context. The extent to which these elements emerge in the mind without knowledge of their previous existence is immeasurable and adds to the mysterious nature of creative output.
The interior depicted in this artwork has been influenced by a new series of works created in collaboration with artificial intelligence (AI). AI has permeated every facet of an artist’s process and is likely to continue evolving, introducing novel methods of its own. In this particular pastel drawing, a form of double mimesis has taken place, where an actual drawing was used to make an artificial drawing which then influenced this pastel. The artist utilized AI by combining a drawing, code, and an existing interior. The result was a swift and flawlessly executed piece that exudes a perfection that is pure computer-generated imagery (CGI). That sleek image then served as inspiration for this painting. While the sleek image remains static and unresolved in many aspects, the pastel is infused with motion by the medium itself. The artists hand and the use of color create a dynamic effect that is imprinted in the chalk strokes. Unlike the synthetic blending found in AI-generated artwork, the pastel medium embodies historical and spiritual elements. Here, the artist seamlessly incorporated influences from art history, including Jean Arp, Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst, Francis Picabia, and even more contemporary artist Damian Hirst. The fusion of these diverse influences creates a sense of mystery and connectivity that intensifies the longer one gazes at the piece. This transcendence, achieved through the artistic fusion, cannot yet be replicated by a computer, as it exists, at this point, beyond explanation or quantification.
