What Is Art?

6/26/2021 2:21:31 PM
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"Nightwatch," Oil

I like to listen to National Public Radio. I like to listen to the various interviews of people from around the world. They give me insight to different cultures and ideas. Last week when I got in my car to go run errands, The 1A with Joshua Johnson was on. The subject was about artificial intelligence producing art through generative adversarial networks, or GANs. GANS uses images to analyze patterns and then uses the knowledge to create new "artwork." The computer has no idea what the images are but learns patterns to produce an image. Last year, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) produced image, the "Portrait of Edmund de Belamy" sold for $432,500. The discussion on the A1 was about the process of GANs and whether an AI produced image is really art.

When I'm asked what art is I generally give the broad description, anything someone creates. The broadcast made me think about this description. It is really much more than just a creation. The creation starts with inspiration, an idea. For me that idea has to percolate. I have to envision how the subject I'm going to paint is to be presented on my canvas. How does it sit within the frame of the canvas so that it looks interesting and draws the viewers eye to what I want him or her to see? What information is important or not important? Do I need to change something, a color, a shape? Do I need to leave something out? Should my edges be soft or hard? This goes on and on through my painting process until I am finished and satisfied with what I have produced. So if I apply this thinking to AI produced images, I have to say no, the AI is unable to apply inspiration and a decision making process in order to create. However, during the broadcast, a caller pointed out that the math used by the AI is art and has a poetry in itself. I'll leave it to you to form your own opinion on the subject.