Navigating the new frontiers: Art in the age of AI

As AI-generated imagery becomes increasingly sophisticated, we are ushered into an era where the stunning visual content created by AI stands on par with the masterpieces of traditional digital artists. Yet, as we embrace this wave of innovation, the essence and limits of what we call art continue to be firmly shaped by the human touch in creativity.

Defining art in a dynamic world

Art has always been a mirror of its time, reflecting shifts in society, technology, and methods of creation. From the focus on craftsmanship during ancient times to the breakaway from figurative art in the 20th century, art has continuously evolved. 

The 1900s witnessed artists like Marcel Duchamp, who challenged the traditional confines of art by introducing his “readymade,” consisting of a porcelain urinal signed "R. Mutt". Through his “readymades,” he championed the principle that what is art is defined by the artist and presented the artist as a ‘chooser’ instead of a ‘maker’ – changing the definition of an artist. Duchamp described his “readymades” as “an ordinary object elevated to the dignity of a work of art by the mere choice of an artist.”

With such a loose definition, institutions like museums and galleries have since become the arbiters of what is recognized as art, valuing works that display visual excellence while resonating with contemporary themes and carrying historical and cultural significance.

But really, what is art?

In today's landscape, where AI-generated works can be produced with simple text prompts, the emphasis shifts from manual technique to the artist's conceptual choices and cultural narratives. 

This evolution mirrors the journey of photography from a record-keeping tool to an art form recognized for its artistic vision. In the mid-1800s, as photography began to be popularized it was seen primarily as a form of documentation. 

However, eventually, as photographers began to lend their artistic eye, vision, and careful selection or staging of subject matter, photography began to be viewed as an art form. In 1905, Alfred Stieglitz opened his "291" gallery in New York, heralding photography as an avant-garde art form alongside sculpture and paintings, and eventually, other art institutions joined the chorus. 

Today, there's a recognition that photography can serve as either an artistic medium or a method for precise documentation. This distinction is clear: there are fine art photographers whose work is expressive and interpretive, and then there are those who utilize photography mainly to preserve a moment in time, such as in wedding or event photography—which, it's worth noting, can also be executed with artistic finesse.

In the realm of AI-generated imagery, we're witnessing a parallel debate. Some insist that without the depth of human experience, AI-crafted images cannot qualify as art. Conversely, others believe that certain AI-generated images do deserve the 'art' label, crediting the creative influence of the prompt engineer or even the AI itself. 

Despite varying viewpoints, the artist's distinct vision and perspective are irreplaceable. These elements are what elevate an artist to the role of a curator, the one who infuses generated images with conceptual depth, transforming them into more than pixels—into art.

Artistic innovation through AI

In the world of AI art, many artists are using unique artistic visual inputs, developing their own algorithms, and incorporating their physical brushstrokes or other unique processes to produce their artworks, like Sougwen Chung, who uses AI models to program a painting robotic arm in riveting patterns on canvas or Sofia Crespo, who uses computer vision and machine learning to imagine new animals and marine life. 

However, an increasing number of artists have been using existing AI image generators to create artworks recognized by art institutions as having cultural and artistic merit. Both of the following works were successful because of the artistic process and careful curation, or as Marcel Duchamp might say, the “choosing” from the AI-generated images.

Egon Schiele’s imaginary paintings

OpenAI and Stefan Kutzenberger collaborated to imagine hypothetical paintings by long-deceased Austrian expressionist painter, Egon Schiele. Inputting Schiele’s existing works and lines from Schiele’s poetry into DALL·E, OpenAI and Kutzenberger produced a series of paintings that exemplify the innovative potential of AI in art. 

This project highlights the capacity of AI to bridge historical and contemporary art forms and raises ethical considerations about originality and authenticity in the digital age. The endeavor to create 'new' works in Schiele's style underscores the complex relationship between artist, technology, and creation, prompting us to reflect on the nature of artistic expression in an AI-driven world.

Exploring “Us”: An artistic fusion of human insight and AI

In a remarkable display at the Denver Art Museum, the artwork 'Us' emerges as a testament to the partnership between human creativity and AI innovation. Artist Steven Yazzie, alongside poet Jennifer Elise Forster, pioneered this venture, blending traditional artistry with forward-thinking technology.

Delving into the creative process, they harnessed the power of Midjourney, an AI, to generate a series of visuals based on Forster's poetry and other artworks in the Denver Art Museum’s  Near East to Far West, Fictions of French and American Colonialism exhibition. 

Out of the forty visual options produced for each poetic prompt, just one was chosen—carefully selected for its resonance with the intended message. These chosen images were then refined with Stable Diffusion, culminating in a thought-provoking animation that reconstructs historical perceptions of Indigenous identities, portrayed through a critical, contemporary lens.

'Us' thus stands as a dialogue between past and present, a critical reflection empowered by AI while deeply rooted in the human experience of art and expression.

An uncharted canvas: The future of art and AI

As we navigate the intersection of art and AI, it’s becoming evident that technology is both a tool and a collaborator. Artists are finding novel ways to incorporate AI into their work, guiding the process from concept to completion.

Consider the way new tech breathes life into projects like the hypothetical paintings of Egon Schiele or the multidimensional 'Us' at the Denver Art Museum. While these works showcase the impressive capabilities of AI, it's the artists' discernment in choosing and refining the output that infuses these pieces with meaning.

In this evolving landscape, the boundaries of art continue to stretch. Yet, amid this expansion, the artist's vision remains at the heart of creativity. As we look to the future, artists will likely keep blending their insights with technology, prompting us to see art from fresh perspectives—connecting us to its deeply human roots in ever more accessible ways.