Before Technology Took Over

................ by Bill Hudson

I don’t know who to credit for this photograph. But it sure brings back great memories. And it has me thinking about the effects of technology on our lives over the past 50 years, particularly in art.

When I was the age of these kids, I lived in Baltimore with 20+ other kids my age in our block alone. We pedaled our bikes everywhere and played outside on the sandlot, in the street, or in the woods with slingshots and BB-guns. Just, “Be home at 5:30” for dinner.

Today, I watch our grandkids spending a large part of their time in the house, on cell phones, and playing video games on their hand-held consoles. Is it better or worse? I don’t know, but think about how rapidly things changed. And, where is it going from here?

The Art World

There has been a revolutionary change in how art is created, shared, and experienced. Brick-and-mortar art galleries are in steady decline. Artists can now access buyers directly on the internet through personal websites, online galleries, international markets, and social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok etc.). Traditional galleries had been the gatekeepers for downselecting and introducing emerging artists to the public. But, today brick-and-mortar galleries can be bypassed entirely.

In the past, desirable visual art was manually created by trained artists dedicated to mastering their craft (painting, photography, sculpture). Today, credible 2D images can be produced by nearly anyone using free artificial intelligence (AI) generators such as DALL-E2, Bing Image Generator, Dream Studio, Google’s Deep Dream, Craiyon, etc. Also, any two-dimensional image can be further enhanced or manipulated by hundreds of programs and applications (Photoshop, inPixio, PicMonkey, Snapseed, etc., etc.).

2D technologies advanced rapidly into low-cost 3D design and modelling technologies. 3D printers capable of producing artist/AI-generated designs in plastic are available with prices beginning at less than $200.

Today, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies can add dimension and experience to old/new creations. For example, 3D computer-generated environments can be added to a single 2D image to change the scenery or provide a 360-degree panorama. Many programs are on the market including: Tilt Brush, Blender, Adobe Dimension, SketchUp, etc. VR also requires some hardware in the form of a headset or smartphone glasses.

All these digital age technologies have raised questions about art authenticity, uniqueness, expertise, skill, and value. Lines have been blurred distinguishing the amateur from the professional artist.

Personally, art is my time-alone therapy, spent reflecting on nature and reliving great memories while trying to master the difficult but thrilling medium of watercolor. I’m content with a paintbrush in hand.

The World’s First AI-generated Art Gallery

In March of 2023, in the central De Wallen neighborhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands, the Dead End Gallery opened. The curator, Constant Brinkman, is a real person. But, all 11 artists and their art is AI generated making this the first of possibly many such galleries to follow.

Each AI-created artist talks with customers, answering questions from a video screen. “When one of the AI artists, a very pretty Irisa Nova, was asked how much its paintings were worth, it said: ‘The estimated asking price for the curator could vary between €3,000 and €10,000. So far, the public’s reaction to the concept of AI art has been mixed. Some are wowed by what artificial intelligence can accomplish, while others don’t think the pieces reflect real art and say that AI art infringes on copyright by using parts of already existing work.” Ref Beril Naz Hassan, writer Time Out Travel