Blog Post 9
Does art made by a machine count as real art?
Artificial intelligence applications are becoming a known thing in multiple fields by the day, including AI painting technology, which is something that generates curiosity to everyone, including creatives.
AI art is widely used in the context of AI-generated content (AIGC), making it possible for both artists and regular people to communicate with technological systems and eventually create an enchanted masterpiece. These devices are programmed to generate art by imitating the act of painting by humans, while also producing images in a matter of a few seconds. But how do they do it? (Xu et al., 2023).
As of right now, these systems are all based on semantic analysis. This means that they use huge databases of text and images to train a machine-learning mechanism that teaches the device to generate an image based on the input text written by the user. In order to do so, the system is also trained to study pre-existing images to then produce new ones, thanks to the use of deep learning algorithms. Even though AI has improved so much over time, creating realistic visual products is still quite challenging (Xu et al., 2023).
Through the study of AI painting, it was discovered that these processes implement a good variety of techniques and styles, using machine learning to improve users’ artistic skills. What the AI brings to the table is more possibilities but also a different way of viewing art and creative pieces (Xu et al., 2023).
A very interesting case study of machine painting is brought to us by an artist called Andee Collard, an English artist who uses non traditional painting solutions to recreate visual representations. His works show a good mix between modernism and tradition, between technology and physicality, taking an extra step towards the evolution of art. Moreover, the artist himself is the one making his machine. He says that he had to experiment a lot to find the one that worked best for him, having produced more than 20 CNC prototypes. The way his creative process works is through an initial photograph to start, and an analysis of the color palette to then recreate it with real-world oil colors. Even though it sometimes glitches like every digital device, it is also quite unpredictable since it works with layers of paint and actual brushes.
When asked what machine painting is during an interview, he replies: “Machine Painting is the art of creating works using machines guided by my specific instructions. I often quip that my paintings are "hand-painted by machine.".” (Ryan, 2024).
He also wants to specify that he works together with the machine, observing and choosing every little movement during the process. This allows him to create an interconnection between human creation and machine execution, making the “robotic arm” both a creative partner and a tool. The aim of the artist is to challenge the concepts of authorship and craftsmanship, while also giving a different POV in the perception of the continuous developments in the art world. Finally, when asked why he decided to use a machine instead of sticking to the “traditional” way of doing things, he says that he needed something that could help him achieve everything that he wanted all at once, without having to focus too much.
What is really interesting about this is that Collard takes inspiration from the concept of aura first given by Walter Benjamin in "Short History of Photography" (1972). There, Benjamin describes it as “a unique manifestation of a distance, however close it may be” (Benjamin, 1972). In short, the aura is reduced to the "one-timeness" of a moment, in which the subject meets the object. He also believes that the concept of aura can only be talked about in relation to a work of art and that it creates the necessary detachment for a true artistic experience (Vassilev, 2023).
In conclusion, I believe that we are still very far away from understanding this artistic and contemporary phenomenon that includes AI and robotic machines... and I don't think we'll ever come to the end of it truly. Being an artist, I see the technological world as something that can definitely push my boundaries and make everything possible, but it also scares me in a way. I am afraid that human beings are not going to experiment with their own creativity and originality anymore and that we are not going to be able to distinguish something man-made from something AI-produced. In a way I see the utility of these mechanisms, especially of the arm extension that I analyzed. I realize that devices like this one can help people with disabilities or any sort of problem. However, at the same time, I see the downside of it. I think for example about children. How will they ever understand their tue capabilities if they are always going to be exposed to non-human help? I think the only way I can find this out is only through the passing of time.
And to respond to the question "Does art made by a machine count as real art?", I think the answer will definitely vary from person to person. In my opinion, I would say that it does. At the end of the day, art can be literally anything. Sure, it's created by a robotic arm with a brush, but it has been created by a human being who controls it. Therefore I would say that it counts.
Reference list:
Benjamin, W. (1972). A Short History of Photography.
Collard, A. (2024). Andee Collard. [online] Andee Collard. Available at: https://www.andeecollard.com/.
Instagram. (2020). Andee Collard on Instagram: ‘Machine Painting’. [online] Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/DDSV3kaIZuP/ [Accessed 29 Dec. 2024].
Ryan, L. (2024). Lowell Ryan Projects. [online] Lowell Ryan Projects. Available at: https://www.lowellryanprojects.com/artist-spotlight-andee-collard [Accessed 2 Jan. 2025].
Vassilev, K. (2023). The Aura of the Object and the Work of Art: A Critical Analysis of Walter Benjamin’s Theory in the Context of Contemporary Art and Culture. Arts, [online] 12(2), p.59. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/arts12020059.
Xu, J., Zhang, X., Li, H., Yoo, C. and Pan Younghwan (2023). Is Everyone an Artist? A Study on User Experience of AI-Based Painting System. Applied sciences, 13(11), pp.6496–6496. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/app13116496.
