Allison Tsai

Art as Defined by the Agency of the Spectator 

 

Recent use of artificial intelligence has challenged long-held beliefs that art is a uniquely human domain, prompting debate as to whether machines can now potentially be regarded as the artist, rather than merely a tool. This piece delves into what constitutes art and who may claim the status of the artist, exploring concepts of temporality, spatiality, and author- ship - all of which have been at the crux of discussions around emerging technologies and their impact on the evolving definition of art. The process behind the work aims to blur the distinction between machine and man-made, bringing Al into the fold as a creative partner. ChatGPT was 

prompted for 50 names of influential artists across time and geographies from which DALL-E-2 rendered nine images, three of which were ultimately selected and merged into a single composite. This image was then projected onto a canvas, and translated into a painting via a reverse-engineering process. I then imbued the piece with a personal human essence, modifying and refining chroma, composition, and subject matter. The resulting art- work, and a record of its creation process, coexist as one in this sculptural video installation of canvas, transparent acrylic scaffolding, and time-lapse projection.

Sector C

Advisors: 

Arthur Cohen (ARTH)

Zab Johnson (WHAR)