Metamers (2018)

As a working artist, I am always looking for new and exciting modes of expression. I started experimenting with machine learning as a art tool in 2016 when I saw deep dream and style transfer ‘how to’ guides on Reddit. A.I. Machine learning is my favorite tool in my artistic toolbox. I am augmenting my existing abilities with these new tools-thus I consider this style to be called ‘Augmented Hand’. These paintings are the result of my two year attempt at creating a neural aesthetic that has enhanced my own traditional art skills and tools. My focus is on large scale gallery ready canvas paintings, at 20,000 pixel dimensions, that are finally printed and then enhanced with oil paint in thin hand painted glazes. I am using A.I. style transfer, texture synthesis, pix2pix to create textures and elements I combine in photoshop (and other raster image processors) to digitally paint on a Wacom Cintiq 27QHD on a home built workstation. I have a 44” Giclee printer that prints these on canvas  and in the final step I glaze oil paints to enhance the luminosity. The final files are huge, some totaling 10 GB in size. They contain traditional oil paint textures, sacred geometry, digital paintings, and machine learning generated patterns/textures-that I combine in multifaceted ways. I am a life long self taught computer hacker, who has spent the last two years teaching myself GNU/LINUX CLI, Python, and linear algebra for my AI art experiments after hours in my spare time. I believe my experience as a animator, illustrator and fine artist by trade, and my comfort with computers, has positioned me in a unique place- where I can integrate machine learning visual elements as a new tool to enhance my own creativity and output. Machine learning is my new studio assistant. I believe that artistic collaboration with A.I., rather than artistic replacement by A.I. is not only the most moral use of A.I., I hope it will prove to be a important aesthetic in the near future. This summer I exhibited my Augmented Hand pieces at: Heart and Solstice Festival in Frogtown CA, World Music Festival in Grass Valley, CA, and the Fall Colors Open Studio Tour in Nevada County, CA. I will be showing 6 Augmented Hand works in ASiF Studio’s small works show next month in Grass Valley. I have been very surprised at the emotional impact the large augmented hand painting have upon people. I was also very surprised to have sold many of these works at festivals and off Instagram this summer.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/160825680@N02/31322763467/in/dateposted-public/