We’re constantly being told that automation is going to replace workers and employment, that soon enough we’ll need to seriously consider a universal basic income because we will have automated so many jobs. The means of production in the present and going forward will be robots, automation, and artificial intelligence. My concern for the last few years has been how do I make sure I am not left behind in this technological change over. How will automation take the jobs of even artists?
I have started on a series of paintings where I am exploring painting abstractly. The first was 00000001, each will be numbered in binary. At the time I started I figured if I plan to do 32 (00100000) paintings I’ll have an end point and a large enough space to explore light, texture, and mediums. The number was originally 32 because its the most I could easily count on one hand. At the same time I have been considering going back to school for a second degree in deep learning/artificial intelligence, because I have a day job and I like solving problems. I found a few months ago Jcjohnson’s github with an implementation of A Neural Algorithm of Artistic Style by Leon A. Gatys, Alexander S. Ecker, and Matthias Bethge. I happen to enjoy my chocolate with peanut butter, so my divergent plans have combined.
This series of paintings, each numbered in binary is going to be fed into deep learning algorithms so that I in essence will have a program or system that will be able to create images similar in appearance to what I would create, an artificial creative partner developed by working through these 32 paintings. This project is already underway, I am finishing the build of a new computer, and I’m well into the first set of images I am going to start with. I’ll be documenting the process and progress on here. Please, stay tuned.