AI Muse
"Sharp like a shard III" is the new exclusive editorial for Raandoom, created with Midjourney by Marta Romano, a Sicilian photographer and visual artist whom we had the pleasure to have a chat with.
This third and final shot is part of the artist's series dedicated to natural elements. "It's easy to have an idea and pursue it while maintaining a stylistic coherence, but it's just as easy for Midjourney to generate unexpected images that can create other stories and worlds.”
During the generation process, the program indeed deviated from the instructions and created images by adding artificial lights. "Excited about the result, I developed those outcomes using the remix function, which allows modifying the elements of an image without altering its style. By adding keywords such as 'shot on fish eye lens,' 'artificial studio light,' and 'surrounded by people,' I created this editorial in which models showcase themselves to the camera and the viewer, wearing clothes and crowns made of glass. Initially, the element in question was supposed to be ice, but I often accommodate changes in direction as long as they align with my aesthetic and artistic direction.”
The environment resembles a photographic studio and a catwalk, while other figures and subjects walk behind the models or stand beside them in the shot, contributing to a sense of chaos.
"I've always felt a certain passion for art, images, and craftsmanship. Today, this craftsmanship is made of different tools: no longer a pencil or a brush, but a digital device. In any way I use it, I always aim to give purpose to what I do and what I would like to do. [...] For me, Midjourney is like an inspiring muse, and I think it could be for many others too. In this lifetime, we see past trends coming back into fashion, and drawing from the power of text-to-image programs would bring a breath of fresh air, of something new. The idea behind my work arises from the desire to generate editorials that I wouldn't have had the opportunity to create otherwise: my work consists of creating highly detailed and surreal scenes, with the intention, also, of making people perceive AI’s presence immediately from the outset. I spend most of my time behind a screen, so in my art, I just find a place for that part of me that loves to leave everything superficial out and spend days surrounded by nature. I'm therefore developing an editorial series on the four elements of nature: I started with earth, creating imaginary models in rocky and volcanic landscapes, within which they camouflage themselves, wearing clothes composed of elements typical of the environment. Next up was water, particularly ice. Aiming for more artificial settings and photographic set-ups, I generated clothes and accessories that recall the shape of stalactites. Air and fire will be next, and considering the stunning results, I can't wait to discover what the program will be able to do.”
When we talk about AI, we refer to processes that are constantly evolving and have developed very rapidly in recent years. Tools like Midjourney or Dall-E have emerged as powerful tools in the contemporary world, especially in the realms of art and communication, offering new insights for young creatives.
"The rise of artificial intelligence has been nothing but a way to exploit a new tool in the creative process; it helped me shape my thoughts. All I have to do to make that happen is turn on my computer and put together some sentences. It might seem scary, and perhaps it is, but for a person like me - working on a low budget, seizing its potential is a way to keep interest and imagination alive. [...] Nowadays, I am convinced that it is vital for artists to learn to manage and maneuver it (ed.: AI) to their advantage, considering the continuing expansion of the possibilities it offers and the multitude of tools that manage to adapt remarkably to our needs. If it's true that the legitimacy of a work of art is decided by the public, as Marcel Duchamp said, then I believe that it has already decided and socially accepted AI as an artistic co-producer. First of all, because many contemporary artists have already done so. This happened because artificial intelligence reduces costs and many of the logistical difficulties that all new artists have to face. [...] If, on the one hand, my intention is to give a recognizable imprint to my works, reworking aesthetic trends and referring to a more dreamlike world, on the other hand, I let myself be influenced by the infinite possibilities that AI and Midjourney offer me. This sort of mutual exchange continually increases my desire to experiment and find new avenues of expression.”
AI is trained with billions of cause-and-effect data assets, and depending on the inputs provided by the artist, it can give life to ever-different works. However, this new frontier has become a double-edged sword as there have been multiple crucial reflections on its impact on the contemporary artistic landscape. In fact, there is a large portion of the population that believes that the sophistication and continuous improvement of AI could make “traditional artistic professions” disappear as the latter could replace artists, photographers, and creative directors.
"I believe that the German philosopher Walter Benjamin has best synthesized this feeling of fear, explaining that every form of art goes through critical periods because it seeks to achieve certain objectives that can only be achieved through the implementation of new techniques, namely through a new form of art. Just as it happened with the invention of photography, which sparked concern and mistrust among painters, today artists and designers fear being replaced. My opinion is that this won't happen, and indeed, the embedding of artificial intelligence in society will make artistic works among the most popular and relevant. After all, the artist remains an artist and the commissioner remains the one who orders the work. I also think that we will need to focus more on the creative process than on the finished product, in this way it will be possible to emerge and stand out in what we know to be an extremely competitive world.”
Certainly, the prospect of working side by side with a completely digital tool can seem intimidating, but it shouldn't prevent young artists from embracing AI as a new tool rather than seeing it as a threat. Also, because the central figure in the process remains the artist: it is always the artist who gives instructions to AI, which in turn can analyze billions of data finding patterns (shapes, colors, concepts) that the artist could not have identified so completely. We therefore asked Sara Varzi, art director and Midjourney lecturer at IUAD in Naples, how to create a system that works - a sort of parallel art that integrates tradition and artificial intelligence.
"It all depends on how we decide to use AI. The way we choose to use it is our responsibility, but we are all aware, more or less, that its progress cannot be stopped and it will become part of our daily lives. AI is constantly developing and updating, and it's not easy to keep up, but the important thing is not to forget ourselves because the difference is made by us. [...] Human contact is important, facing a machine rather than a person has obviously a totally different and apathetic effect. However, I believe that the main mistake we make is to consider artificial intelligence a threat rather than an ally. The truth is that it can be both if we don't know how to handle it well, but especially how much to use it. I think we need to maintain a certain balance between our abilities and the added value that AI can bring to our work. By studying the most correct way to write and input prompts, we can achieve astonishing results that one would never say were created by AI; they could easily pass for works created by humans. I believe the secret lies in using it (as it facilitates and speeds up our work) and adding to that result our talent, to make changes, so that the result generated by AI serves only as a starting point. Personally, I think we shouldn't stop there but go beyond because as humans we have our personal life experience and our unique vision as individuals, each with our own story, and these will change for each of us, and therefore, if we treasure this and reflect it in our work, we can obtain unique works, like us”.
At the moment, we are therefore in a phase where we do not know the direction that the artistic sector will take following the massive introduction of AI, but it is reasonable to hope that a balance can be found with specialized professionals and clients who understand its value, leaving intact the artistic baggage of each of us.
“At IUAD, we teach to understand and look at AI as a tool to be used as a catalyst for the production, execution, and work process and not as a replacement for human heritage. Art is constantly evolving and is interwoven in all its fields. I have always firmly believed in the so-called Butterfly effect: infinitesimal variations in the initial conditions produce large and growing variations in the subsequent behavior of these systems. From a very young age, I have always had my head in the clouds and was easily distracted: drawing has always been my way of escaping reality and taking refuge in my thoughts and dreams. Everything starts there. Taking a step back, art was my first safe place and always will be because it knows no boundaries, art allows you to make something real for everyone that was real only for you in your head. Occasionally detaching ourselves from reality doesn't hurt. Obviously, you need to have a good knowledge of the tools and how to write prompts, but with study, you can achieve stunning results and really thanks to AI we can make our surreal visions visible to others and make them a little more real. For me, this is art: breaking out of the mold, thinking outside the box. Art is made to break the rules, to create something fresh, rather than new. It's hard to create something new, but not to create something fresh”.
