Bob's Museum of Artificially Intelligent Art
Rodins? Where we're going, we don't need Rodins.
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It’s a quiet Sunday, so rather than more economics, politics, health, and ethics, how about some visual fare? Readers often comment on the artwork adorning Bastiat’s Window essays. Sometimes, I use the fine art produced by my wife (ASGraboyesArt.com) or our son, Jeremy (JSGraboyes.com). But lately, I’ve produced a lot of illustrations, myself—much of it using images generated by artificial intelligence (AI) programs Craiyon and Midjourney. Sometimes, I use the ai images as is, but more often, I add and combine elements, edit colors, textures, composition, etc.
I especially enjoy introducing elements of anachronism into my works. For example, the topmost illustration here fabricates a still-life by Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) with a COVID-19 coronavirus as the central element. Below is a gallery of images I’ve produced but haven’t yet used in Bastiat’s Window. Enjoy.
BULLWINKLE, BY MARC CHAGALL
COURTROOM SKETCHES OF GODZILLA
CORGIS BY EVERYONE
Pembroke Welsh Corgis, as if by Picasso, Monet, Rembrandt, John Tenniel, Thomas Nast, Max Ernst, Renoir, Maxfield Parrish, Ingres, Aubrey Beardsley, Matisse, and Botero—plus medieval stone sculpture, ivory, and Byzantine icon. You figure which is which.
22ND CENTURY CITIES, AS FORESEEN BY NOSTRADAMUS
ABSTRACT BOTANICALS
BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS, 1930s
CTHULHU BY BEATRIX POTTER
RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA
Hope you’ve enjoyed the exhibit. AI programs have come under heavy criticism (including from me) for their political biases and other shortcomings; but, as creative tools, they can be a load of fun and quite impressive. For now (and maybe forever), AI can’t produce high-quality original art; but it’s certainly adept at rolling out decent derivative pieces like mine. David Hockney need not fear competition from AI, but the mid-level art-school graduate who produces ad copy, book covers, and magazine illustrations might ponder alternative careers.
My graphic artist husband, who is typically cynical about AI, thought these were quite impressive. (He has played with Midjourney, however.)
What fun!
Cthulu by Beatrix Potter. Awesome.