 | Sunday, July 17, 2022 | |  | Sunday, July 17, 2022 | | Hi, art lovers! | | | While working on this article about artists playing with AI, I somehow scored (very) limited access to Midjourney. It’s one of the various AI-powered tools that can transform a string of keywords into seriously startling visuals — and the preferred AI gadget used by one of the folks I interviewed for the piece, Winston Hacking (previously seen here). Staring down a brand new technology, I did what anyone would do … if they were facing a deadline: I asked the bot to illustrate the story.
My prompt: “Four Canadian artists making images with AI.”
What I got: | | |  | Midjourney | | | I filed the story, but didn’t bother including that picture. These AI-generated headline photos are way more effective, so what the heck happened with my attempt? Do the robots really think every Canadian artist is a thin white woman … and occasionally a forgotten Trudeau sibling who’s been trapped in the attic of 24 Sussex for 50 years? AI bias is real, pals. And while this in-depth explainer won’t specifically answer my previous question, I’d recommend watching it if you need a breezy primer on what this world-changing technology is all about. Like anything new, it all seems as terrifying as the average DALL-E Mini meme, and earlier this year, Q discussed a few of the big philosophical questions we’re being forced to mull in the wake of it. There are already guidebooks logging how to “prompt engineer” the most satisfying image results. Is this going to change the way we use language to describe art and everything we see? What happens when everyone has the power to remix all of art history? Are we at the beginning of a new movement? | | | | | And because we promised you eye candy ... |  | Aline Setton | Shift of Light. Painting by Toronto’s Aline Setton. | | | | |  | Kima Lenaghan | | For Now by Kima Lenaghan. Like Aline, Kima’s appearing at the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair this weekend. | | | | |  | Jenn Law | | Any gardeners out there? What do you think of this? Weed Poems! Artist Jenn Law has been making these at Open Studio in Toronto, experimenting with letterpress printing on living plants. | | | | |  | Bridget Moser/Ginette Lapalme/DALL-E 2 | | | | | How will text-to-image AI change the way artists work? Four Canadian creatives weigh in. | | | | |  | Facebook/Calgary Stampede First Nations Princess | | | | | “The rodeo scene is still a part of who we are,” says Sikapinakii Low Horn. An artist and graduate student at the University of Calgary, Sikapinakii’s a member of Siksika Nation. | | | | |  | Greg Wong | | | | | | | Chalking is a contemporary dance production that crosses continents, languages and dance styles. See it (for free!) in Toronto this summer. | | |  | @mmoma_hamont | | MMOMA for short, this tiny art gallery looks a lot like one of those Little Free Libraries that have proliferated in neighbourhoods all over. But instead of being stocked with dog-eared copies of The Da Vinci Code, MMOMA hosts miniature exhibitions by local artists — pros and newbs alike. Read more about it. And if you’re in Hamilton, Ont., get over to Mapleside Avenue to see it IRL. | | | | | Share this newsletter | | or subscribe if this was
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I’m Leah Collins, senior writer at CBC Arts. Until next time! | | | | | |
