The Artist as an Exalted Artisan: AI, NFTs & Art
The Artist as an Exalted Artisan: AI, NFTs & Art
“The artist is an exalted artisan […] the foundations of proficiency are indispensable to every artist. This is the original source of creative design.” – Walter Gropius
A panel about Art in the age of AI and NFTs and how technology is redefining creativity and ownership.
Questions broached could be:
Gropius envisioned the Bauhaus as a “new guild of craftsmen” without class distinctions. How does the accessibility and democratization of art through AI and NFTs align with or challenge this vision?
The idea of “aura” in art has been debated since Walter Benjamin. How might AI art and NFTs, given their digital and reproducible nature, contribute to or detract from the concept of “aura?”
Considering the perception that AI art removes the artist’s hand and therefore their craftsmanship, how do AI artists demonstrate their skills and artistry in utilizing AI as a tool?
Chaired by Professor Ariel Baron-Robbins with panelists Michael Assis, Alejandro Cartegana and Robert Stratton aka madbutter.
Ariel Baron-Robbins
Ariel Baron-Robbins is an interdisciplinary artist and academic specializing in digital media, drawing, and animation. Currently a Visiting Associate Teaching Professor at Florida International University, she brings over two decades of experience in researching, teaching and creating art. With an MFA in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of South Florida and a BFA in Drawing and Painting from the University of Mississippi, Ariel has pioneered digital arts education at institutions like Florida Atlantic University and has taught a diverse range of disciplines across several Florida universities. Her innovative approach integrates Generative Artificial Intelligence into her animation courses, requiring students to utilize GAN programs for animation creation and conceptual research.
Michael Assis
Michael Assis is a PhD candidate at the Bard Graduate Center in New York. His dissertation, “Decentralized Objects: Non-fungible Tokens in the Age of Web3,” discusses philosophical issues and sociopolitical aspects of NFTs. Assis is also the co-founder of Artistoric, an art gallery specializing in decorative arts, and the co-founder of Artfora, an exchange platform for physical objects coupled with non-fungible tokens.by Michael Assis
Robert Stratton
Robert Stratton (aka madbutter) has been a digital artist working in the intersection of fine art, design, physical computing, and programming for over 30 years. Robert both attended and taught at the MFA program in Computer Art at the School of Visual Arts. He has founded and run several successful companies including: “dot-com” interactive agency Rare Medium; Controlled Entropy Ventures (which developed the infamous Remote Lounge, a “telepresence-themed” nightclub packed with interactive technology); and Sensacell Inc, the developer and manufacturer of an innovative interactive lighting product. In the last couple of years, Robert has taken a deep dive into the tools, techniques, and cultural and artistic ramifications of Generative Art, AI and Machine Learning Art, and NFTs. He is the host of the popular X/twitter space “AI Art Today” which focuses on these practices from a technical, artistic, sociological, and ethical point of view. The show has also featured dozens of interviews with leading artists, researchers, programmers, entrepreneurs, and educators in the AI Art space. Robert is also a featured speaker, for the second year in a row, at NFT NYC on the developing AI Art scene and its synergies and conflicts with the broader ecosystem of blockchain, crypto art, and NFTs.
Alejandro Cartagena:
Alejandro Cartagena is a renowned photographer known for his captivating series CARPOOLERS and his pioneering role as the co-founder of Fellowship, a platform that champions historical and contemporary artists at the forefront of photography, generative art, AI, and video. With a unique blend of expertise in photography and AI, Alejandro Cartagena has carved a distinctive path in the NFT space through his dedication and innovative approach. By seamlessly merging traditional photography with cutting-edge technologies, Cartagena’s work with Fellowship showcases the transformative power of AI in the realm of art, pushing boundaries and opening up new creative possibilities. Fellowship’s exploration of the intersection between artificial intelligence and art offers a glimpse into the future of artistic expression in the digital age.
