All articles tagged with #generative art
Wizards of the Coast faced backlash after using AI to generate visuals for a Magic: The Gathering promo, initially denying AI involvement before admitting to its use. The company blamed a third party and cited oversight of their AI policy. This controversy follows Hasbro's recent layoffs, raising concerns about the future of the company's beloved IPs.
Vera Molnar, a pioneer of computer art and the godmother of generative art, has passed away at the age of 99. Molnar began experimenting with algorithms and computation principles in her work before gaining access to an actual computer. Her computer-aided paintings and drawings, inspired by geometric works, were eventually exhibited in major museums. Despite initial skepticism, Molnar persevered and embraced the tensions between order and chaos in her art. She continued to explore the possibilities of digital art, including creating a generative art series using NFT technology.
Artist David Salle has been working with an AI program to test its capacity to become a sophisticated creator of art. Through weekly meetings with technologists, the program has been tailored to Salle's requirements, generating images in his style based on descriptive prompts. The algorithm has progressed, adopting more of Salle's techniques and moving away from generic photorealism. Salle sees the experiment as sending the machine to art school, teaching it principles of light, shadow, depth, and volume. The partnership has been mutually beneficial, with Salle acting as a guinea pig for the AI platform while developing his own digital images. The experiment raises questions about the nature of art, authorship, and the future role of AI in the creative process.
Digital artists and collectors, including Beeple, responded sarcastically to an ARTnews article suggesting that the recent Sotheby's auction marked a possible "final hurrah" for the NFT market. Beeple tweeted, "please delete all remaining jpegs by 5pm EST today," alluding to NFT art detractors who consider the market a profit-focused passing fad. However, digital art advocates emphasized the nuance and craftsmanship uniquely facilitated by generative, blockchain-backed art. Despite the ongoing crypto winter's negative impact on median NFT prices, 2022 ultimately saw about the same overall NFT trading volume as the year prior: around $25 billion.
Sotheby's auctioned off 40 digital artworks, including a coveted Dmitri Cherniak NFT, from the bankrupt crypto firm Three Arrows Capital, raising just under $11 million with buyers' fees. The centerpiece of the auction, Cherniak's "Ringers #879 (The Goose)," sold for $6.2 million to 6529 NFT fund. The auction drew a younger audience, with many first-time bidders in their 20s and 30s. The sale's success was driven by nostalgia for the crypto supercycle and the provenance behind the NFTs. Artists will receive royalties from the sales, and Cherniak expressed his ideal circumstance would be for "The Goose" to be enjoyed or donated to a museum.