May 18-June 17, 2023
Whether we like it or not, artificial intelligence and AI-generated art is here to stay. As a way to meet this moment and explore how AI is affecting artists and the art world, Studio Kroner poses the question, “Yes, But Is It Art?”
The month-long exhibit and symposium will open Thursday, May 18th, and run through Saturday, June 17th, 2023.
“We’re at a point where AI is relatively new to the art world, and there are still many questions to consider. Like other innovative disruptions from our past, it is important for us to put this moment in historical context and ask,'is this art?’”
“Yes, But Is It Art?” will feature five artists—Patrick Lichty, Alan Brown, Judi Bommarito, Teri Campbell, and Brandy VanGessel—as they investigate the creative potential and limitations of text-to-image based artwork using AI engines such as DALL·E 2, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and others. Kroner will also welcome aspiring playwrights and actors from the Cincinnati School for Creative and Performing Arts to perform a series of short skits about innovation and disruption, and an Intellectual Property Attorney who will share his expertise regarding the legal challenges and implications facing artists using AI.
Click here to see the list of events for “Yes, But Is It Art”
While some artists aren’t yet convinced of its merits, others are enthusiastically throwing their weight behind it. One such artist is Cincinnati photographer and digital artist Alan Brown, who will be featured in “Yes, But Is It Art.” Brown primarily uses the AI programs known as Midjourney and DALL·E 2 currently. He says he thinks of them as tools in his tool belt. He also approaches them with an attitude of discovery. “I stumbled across AI last year in January when it was just starting to become a thing, and one of my favorite things to do is to find out how to use the technology and what I’m going to do with it. And now, I’m working in various AI programs daily.”
Another featured artist, Teri Campbell, who is also the owner and creative lead at Teri Studios, was quick to learn about and use AI as it became available, and his enthusiasm for AI is immediately apparent. “I feel like I’m more excited about my future as an artist right now than I was when I got my first camera. I’m so amped about what’s going. I feel like I’m so much more prolific now than I ever was.”
Patrick Lichty, a media “reality” artist, curator, and theorist, believes it’s wise to proceed with caution. “It is exciting. It is fun. And it probably is, you know, the next new thing, but we should be looking at the backside of the blade, too.”
This exhibition, like others Studio Kroner has organized and hosted, is a way of facilitating conversation, a way to tackle difficult subjects through art. “I like to use art as a conduit for the exchange of ideas and discussion about the world around us,” says gallery owner Paul Kroner.
So while there is a natural excitement for what AI can do to help artists, this exhibit also considers how AI threatens traditional artists who have spent years perfecting their skills and style. Kroner adds, “We’re at a point where AI is relatively new to the art world, and there are still many questions to consider. Like other innovative disruptions from our past, it is important for us to put this moment in historical context and ask, ‘is this art?’”
For more information about this exhibit and symposium , contact Paul Kroner at 513.428.9830 or email paul@studioKroner.com.