A blog related to original AI artworks. I make AI artworks using coined words and emoji as prompts.

AI Art as an Extension of Contemporary Art

AI art has become possible through the use of a vast amount of existing images. In this regard, many contemporary artworks, since Marcel Duchamp’s use of an existing urinal in “Fountain,” share a commonality of using preexisting materials. Therefore, it can be said that AI art is an extension of contemporary art. If the use of existing materials is denied, both contemporary art and AI art would not be established. While certain considerations are necessary, I believe that artists should have the freedom to use existing materials, including past art.

Much of contemporary art uses existing images or products as materials. Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain” is often cited as the beginning of contemporary art, and this work famously used a preexisting urinal.

Furthermore, Andy Warhol, a leading figure in pop art, utilized industrial products like Campbell’s soup cans, media photographs, and advertising photos as subjects. According to Hidetoshi Fuse, Picasso’s “Guernica” was also based on newspaper articles, connecting it to pop art (“Understanding! Contemporary Art” (a Japanese book)).

AI art becomes possible by analyzing a vast amount of images, which can be seen as an extension of contemporary art that uses existing materials. If the use of existing materials is rejected, much of contemporary art would cease to exist. There is a movement to reject the use of personal artwork as training data for AI art software, and it seems to be a similar act to refusing people to see art. I believe that it is through unrestricted use of existing materials, including past art (while still respecting copyright), that new AI art becomes possible.