In Vienna last week for the ‘Secession’ exhibition, also art in the Belvedere, Leopold Galleries. Fabulous art from the turn of the century Secessionists, who broke with the ‘Academy’ to forge forward into radically new forms of expression. Klimt, then Schiele, were explicitly sexual, wildly expressionist and within a few years had changed art forever. Reflecting on the impact of AI on art, there are parallels.
Past begets the future
I’m not convinced by arguments that see AI as stealing from the past. All content creation involves taking from the past to create the new. Schiele took from Klimt, Klimt took from Japanese and Byzantine mosaic art. No matter how radical the jump, all new content takes form old content, all content emerges to a degree previous content.
This is the essence of GenAI, which take a vast corpus of text or visual data and allow us to create new media by simply asking it to do so, freshly minted worlds. When we prompt, we co-create with AI to create something new, now with Chain of Thought and reasoning. When we prompt to create an image, we create something new that has never been seen before. We can also create new music and videos. I find creating art with the help of AI exhilarating.
Forward movements get backlash
Just as Klimt and Schiele were new and strange, breaking the rules, so AI seems strange and alien. Egon Schiele, had his art banned by the Nazis as ‘degenerate’ but it was resurrected in the English-speaking world in the 1960s. There is a sense, obviously not nearly as strong, of a new Puritanism around AI and art, especially the word ‘creative’. Human exceptionalism was knocked by Copernicus, then Darwin. We are not at the centre of the Universe, merely a rock plying around the sun and an evolved animal. So AI poses another challenge showing that our cognitive capabilities are far from unique. A simple calculator puts paid to that idea and AI is now pushing into areas such as critical thinking, creativity and intelligence.
Late 18th and 19th century Romanticism, promoted the idea that creation is a uniquely human endeavour, human exceptionalism, when all along it has been a drawing upon the past, deeply rooted in what the brain has experienced and takes from its memories to create anything new. Now that we can draw from the much deeper well of human culture, a vast collective memory of our cultural past, new acts of Postcreation are possible.
Just as the academy reacted badly to the shift, so we react badly to the shift with AI. The ‘new’ becomes the ‘new old’. The history of art is one of taking from the past to help create the future. It was Schiele who said, there “no such thing as Modern Art”. He had a point.
What is Art?
What is rarely discussed when considering AI, is aesthetics. What is Art? It is often assumed to be obvious. It is not. Theories of Art matter as they have deep implications for discussions around AI-produced Art. Yet many would be surprised to find that most theories of Art can be used to support the AI production of art. Let’s consider the top ten:
1. Art as Expression
There are theories based on the artist, as the expression of the artist's emotions, feelings, or inner experiences (Tolstoy, Collingwood) and without emotional intent, AI-generated works do fall short of being true art. Since AI lacks consciousness and subjective experience, it cannot genuinely express emotions. Without emotional intent, AI-generated works fall short of being true art under this theory. Even here, some claim that the emotions of the human prompters or users influencing the AI could imbue the work with expressive qualities. CON AI
2. Art as Communication
A more general form expressionism is Art is a communications medium through which artists communicate ideas, emotions, or narratives to an audience. AI may lack consciousness and cannot intend to communicate but if viewers interpret meanings or emotions from AI art, a form of communication occurs. The human input in guiding the AI could also be seen as a conduit for human-to-human communication through the AI medium, an act of communication. PRO AI
3. Art as Experience
Art here is rooted in the experiential interaction between the artist, the artwork, and the audience (Dewey). It emphasises the continuity between art and everyday life, suggesting that art arises from and contributes to the experiences of individuals within their environment.
Under Dewey's theory, AI-produced art is art if it facilitates a meaningful experience for both the creator (prompter or user) and the audience. The interactivity and engagement prompted by AI art align with this experiential idea. PRO AI
4. Art as Representation
Art as an imitation or representation of reality (Plato, Aristotle) was long the commonest theory of art. This theory can be used to support the idea of AI generated art which can generate art from large datasets, effectively imitating styles, themes, and techniques of human art. AI-produced art qualifies as art because it replicates or reinterprets aspects of reality. PRO AI
5. Aesthetic Theory of Art
Under the Aesthetic theory (Kant, Beardsley), Art is anything that provides an aesthetic experience to the viewer. If AI-produced works arouse an aesthetic response, they satisfy the criteria of this theory. The focus is on the viewer or the experience of the audience, allowing AI art to be appreciated as art. It fulfills the criteria of providing an aesthetic experience. PRO AI
6. Art as Formal qualities
Art here is defined by some through its formal qualities—composition, colour, line, shape, and other aesthetic elements (Bell, Greenberg). AI can create works with compelling formal properties that induce aesthetic appreciation. If art is appreciated solely for its formal aspects, regardless of the creator's identity or intent, AI-generated pieces can be considered art. PRO AI
7. Art as Cognition
Art serves as a means of understanding, knowledge acquisition, and intellectual exploration (Goodman, Langer). They argue that art contributes to cognition by presenting new perspectives and insights, functioning similarly to language in conveying ideas. AI art can certainly offer new perspectives or challenge perceptions, contributing to cognitive engagement, especially with Chain of Thought. PRO AI
8. Art as Historical
There is also the Historical definition of Art (Levinson), where Art is seen as an artifact intended to be regarded in a way previous artworks were regarded. AI art often references or builds upon existing artistic styles and movements. If AI-generated works are intended (by users) to engage with art history, they fit within this historical continuum. PRO AI
9. Institutional Theory
The Institutional defines Art as whatever the art world—artists, critics, curators, galleries—recognises as art (Dickie, Danto). As AI-generated works gain acceptance in galleries, museums, and auctions, they attain the status of art within the institutional framework. The theory supports the inclusion of AI art as long as it is embraced by the art community. PRO AI
10. Postmodern Theories
Postmodernism defies singular definitions and embraces plurality, challenging notions of originality and authorship. Its scepticism towards grand narratives and embrace of appropriation and pastiche align with AI art's remixing of existing data. AI art can become a postmodern exploration of creativity and authorship and aligns with postmodern themes of challenging originality and embracing plurality. PRO AI
AI-produced art supported by 9/10 theories
A theory that relies on authorship and intentionality relies on the consciousness and intent of the artist (Expression). Even here, when a human is involved, it quickly opens itself up to intention by the user of AI, as a tool, to communicate (Communication), understand (Experience), collaborate with and create art. Theories that focus on the spectator's experience (Representational, Aesthetic), also support the inclusion of AI art. If the artwork elicits an aesthetic or emotional response, its origin becomes secondary to its impact on the audience. And with theories that place art on the shoulders of form, process and history (Formal, Cognitive and Historical), AI can certainly have its place. Similarly with historical, cultural and institutional acceptance (Historical, Institutional) which suggests that as long as Art is part of a historical process or the art world accepts AI-generated works, they are Art. The increasing presence of AI art in mainstream venues confirms its growing acceptance and challenges traditional gatekeeping.
AI art certainly raises questions about what constitutes creativity. Is AI merely recombining existing data, or is it generating new forms? The debate involves redefining creativity to potentially include generative processes, in collaboration or independently.
Art and orthodoxy
As AI continues to advance and integrate into the art world, these discussions will shape our perception of art in the digital age. This may disturb some but shifts in Art have often agitated the orthodoxy. The rise of AI art challenges us to discuss the role of technology in human culture, the value of human input in art. It challenges us to consider whether art is a uniquely human endeavour or if machines can partake in artistic creation. With AI art, the artist's role may shift from creator to curator or facilitator. This transformation aligns with Postmodern Theories that question traditional authorship and embrace collaborative or decentralised creation processes. It may even, in time, transcend these theories. Art’s destiny may be transcendence.
Conclusion
The many peoples, cultures and languages of the world can be in this communal effort, not to fix some utopian idea of a common set of values or cultural output but creation beyond what just one group sees as art. This could be a more innovative and transformative era, a future of openness, a genuine recognition that the future is created by us, not determined wholly by our limited national cultural present but drawing upon all cultures and the past. AI is not the machine, it is now ‘us’ speaking to ‘ourselves’, in fruitful dialogue. This new aesthetic world, or new dawn, may be more communal, drawing from the well of a vast shared, public collective. We can have a common purpose of mutual effort that leads to a more co-operative, collaborative and unified effort, something much more profoundly communal.
Technological shifts have transformed art, with new tools and media. They have also democratised art making it easier to produce and more accessible. Entirely new forms of art have emerged, including photography, film, digital art, and interactive installations. Technology also changes how audiences engage with art, introducing interactivity and personalisation.
Technological inventions have continually reshaped the landscape of art, pushing the boundaries of creativity and expression. Physical technologies introduced new materials and methods, allowing artists to explore uncharted aesthetic territories. Digital technologies have further expanded these horizons, enabling virtual experiences and global connectivity. As technology evolves, it challenges artists to adapt and inspires them to innovate, ensuring that art remains a dynamic reflection of human ingenuity and captures the zeitgeist of each era. The symbiotic relationship between art and technology not only propels artistic evolution but also invites society to reconsider the possibilities of creation and the essence of what art can be. An AI Warhol is bound to emerge.
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