Creative Dialogues | Episode 2: Anna Ridler & Lex Fefegha | Runway Studios

Runway
6 Feb 202406:01

TLDRIn this episode of Creative Dialogues, artists Anna Ridler and Lex Fefegha discuss their experiences with AI in art. They emphasize the importance of understanding AI as a complex system rather than a mere tool, and the necessity of craftsmanship in creating meaningful art. Ridler shares her project involving tulips and AI, highlighting the human element in AI decision-making. Fefegha draws parallels between gardening and AI, noting the unpredictability and appreciation of the creative process. Both artists advocate for the storytelling aspect of art and the potential for AI to diversify beyond a 'homogeneous thing'.

Takeaways

  • 🤖 AI is not just a tool, but a complex way of understanding the world, according to the speaker.
  • 🕒 The speaker finds the time constraints of AI projects challenging, emphasizing the need for more than just a few days to submit work.
  • 🎨 The speaker values the process of working with machine learning, considering it as a system of different interconnected parts.
  • 👀 The audience's understanding of the technology is important to the speaker, who aims to convey the capabilities of AI through their work.
  • 🌷 In a Netherlands project, the speaker used GANs to generate a 'tulip look', highlighting the importance of presenting the data set as an artwork.
  • 🎥 The speaker's film aimed to visualize dreams, showing the human element in AI decision-making.
  • 👎 The speaker noticed a change in audience perception when AI involvement was revealed, suggesting that some may value traditional craft over AI-generated work.
  • 🌱 The process of creating with AI is compared to gardening, requiring planning and acceptance of unpredictability.
  • 🎨 The speaker emphasizes the importance of storytelling and meaning in art, which is crucial for it to become a piece of art.
  • 📸 The speaker's artwork 'The D' captures black men in South London, inspired by a photographer who documented early British hip-hop.
  • 🌐 The speaker hopes for a future where AI in art is as diverse as photography genres, rather than a monolithic entity.

Q & A

  • What does Anna Ridler find appealing about working with machine learning in her artwork?

    -Anna Ridler finds machine learning to be a beautiful and complex way of understanding the world. It's not just about applying it as a tool to artwork but thinking about it as a system and a series of different systems.

  • How does Lex Fefegha perceive the time frame given for submitting work in the context of AI?

    -Lex Fefegha mentions receiving an email stating there were 2 days to submit work, which they find not to be plenty of time in the world of AI, implying that AI processes can be time-consuming and intricate.

  • Why did Anna Ridler decide to present her tulip dataset as an artwork itself?

    -After creating a dataset of 10,000 photographs of tulips, Anna Ridler realized it was important to present this dataset as an artwork in its own right, leading to a massive installation that showcases the process and effort behind AI creation.

  • What was the reaction of a viewer when they learned the film they were watching was made with AI tools?

    -Initially, the viewer was impressed with the film, but after learning it was made with AI tools, their opinion changed to disliking the film, indicating a possible bias or misconception about AI's role in art.

  • How does Anna Ridler relate the process of using AI in her work to gardening?

    -Anna Ridler compares AI to gardening by emphasizing the need for planning and creating the right conditions for something to happen. She also acknowledges the unpredictability and the need to appreciate the outcome, even if it's not perfect.

  • What was the inspiration behind Lex Fefegha's artwork 'The D'?

    -Lex Fefegha's artwork 'The D' was inspired by a photographer named nsky, who captured early British hip-hop and black culture. Lex wanted to reflect on and contribute to this legacy using his own medium.

  • What does Lex Fefegha believe is essential for an image to become a piece of art?

    -Lex Fefegha believes that for an image to become a piece of art, it has to have meaning and tell a story, emphasizing the importance of narrative and context in art.

  • How does Anna Ridler view the future of AI in the art world?

    -Anna Ridler hopes that AI will not be seen as a homogeneous thing but as a diverse space with various applications and styles, similar to the evolution of photography into different genres like portraiture and documentary.

  • What is the significance of the human role in the AI decision-making process according to the artists?

    -The artists emphasize that there is a human being involved in the AI decision-making process, suggesting that the human element is crucial and should be acknowledged in AI-generated art.

  • How do the artists address the misconception that AI automatically makes one great at creating art?

    -The artists clarify that AI is not a magic tool that automatically enhances one's ability to create art. They stress that skill and understanding of the medium are still essential for creating meaningful and impactful art.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 AI as a Complex Understanding Tool

The speaker expresses a deep appreciation for machine learning as a sophisticated method to comprehend the world, rather than a mere enhancement or filter for their artwork. They emphasize the importance of the context in which their AI-generated work is presented and exhibited, highlighting a project in the Netherlands involving generative adversarial networks (GANs) and tulip photographs. The speaker also discusses the human element in AI decision-making and the impact of revealing the use of AI tools on audience perception. They stress that skill and craftsmanship remain crucial, comparing the AI creative process to gardening, where planning and conditions set the stage for unexpected outcomes. The narrative touches on the importance of storytelling and meaning in art, using 'The Dends' artwork as an example, which captures black men in South London, inspired by early British hip-hop culture.

05:01

🌟 The Future of AI in Art: Beyond Homogeneity

In this paragraph, the speaker anticipates the evolution of AI in the art world, hoping for a future where AI is not seen as a monolithic tool but as a diverse and expansive space for creativity. They express a desire for AI to become an integral part of various artistic disciplines, such as portraiture and documentary photography, and to avoid being pigeonholed into a single, uniform application. The paragraph suggests a vision where AI is embraced for its potential to enrich and diversify artistic expression, rather than being a one-dimensional addition to the creative process.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡AI

AI, or Artificial Intelligence, refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. In the video, AI is portrayed as a complex and beautiful way to understand the world, not merely a tool to enhance artwork. It's highlighted as a system that requires thoughtful engagement rather than a simple plug-in feature.

💡Machine Learning

Machine Learning is a subset of AI that enables computers to learn from and make decisions based on data. The script discusses the use of machine learning in creating art, emphasizing that it's not about speed but about the depth of understanding it provides. It's depicted as an integral part of the creative process, not just a time-saving device.

💡GAN

GAN stands for Generative Adversarial Network, a type of AI algorithm used in unsupervised learning. In the context of the video, a GAN is used to generate a look using 10,000 photographs of tulips, illustrating how AI can be employed in artistic projects to create new forms of visual expression.

💡Art Installation

An art installation refers to a type of artwork that is created to be displayed in a specific location for a limited period of time. The script mentions a massive installation that showcases the dataset of tulip photographs as an artwork itself, emphasizing the importance of the presentation and context in which AI-generated art is viewed.

💡Dream Visualization

The concept of dream visualization in the video is about translating the abstract nature of dreams into a visual format. The artist wanted to create a film that represents what their dreams feel like, using AI as a medium to convey this intangible experience.

💡Crafting Skill

Crafting skill is the ability to create something skillfully and with great attention to detail. The script discusses the importance of maintaining this skill even when using AI tools, suggesting that AI does not replace the need for craftsmanship but rather enhances it.

💡Gardening

The script draws a parallel between gardening and working with AI. Gardening requires planning, understanding ideal conditions, and an acceptance of unpredictability. This analogy is used to illustrate the organic and creative process involved in AI art, where not everything may go as planned, but there is beauty in the unexpected outcomes.

💡Perfection

The term 'perfection' is discussed in the context of artistic creation, suggesting that the pursuit of perfection may not align with the creative process involving AI. The video implies that AI art is about embracing the unexpected and the unique results that come from the interaction of technology and human creativity.

💡Documentary Photography

Documentary photography is a form of photography that records and documents subjects in a way that is factual and informative. In the script, the artist reflects on how their work, inspired by a photographer capturing early British hip-hop and black culture, contributes to a legacy of storytelling through images.

💡Meaning

Meaning in the context of the video refers to the significance or importance that an artwork or image holds. The artist emphasizes that for an image to become a piece of art, it must have meaning and contribute to a narrative or legacy, as seen in the project capturing black men in South London.

💡Homogeneous

The term 'homogeneous' is used in the video to describe a potential future where AI in art is not just a single, uniform approach but a diverse and expansive field. The artist hopes for AI to be recognized as a broad space for creativity, rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.

Highlights

AI is not just a tool to speed up processes but a complex way of understanding the world.

The artist finds excitement in AI as a system and series of different systems.

Audience understanding of technology capabilities is a significant focus of the artist's work.

The importance of how the work is installed and exhibited in a certain context is emphasized.

A project in the Netherlands involved generating a look using a GAN with 10,000 photographs of tulips.

The artist realized the importance of presenting the AI dataset as an artwork itself.

AI decision-making involves a human being in the chain, as visualized in a dream film.

The audience's perception can change based on the knowledge of AI usage in the artwork.

Crafting skill remains important, and generative AI is not a magic tool for automatic greatness.

AI and gardening share similarities in planning and the unpredictability of outcomes.

The artist does not seek perfection in AI art and warns against that expectation.

An artwork called 'The D' captures black men in South London, inspired by early British hip-hop.

Craft in art is about the story and meaning behind the image to make it a piece of art.

There is a shift from photography to portraiture, documentary, and landscape photography.

The artist hopes AI will evolve into a diverse field, not a homogeneous one.

The future of AI in art should not just be about technical proficiency but also storytelling.