Art & Technology Trends: Using New Tools For Creation
The intersection of art and technology has opened up new opportunities for artists to explore new innovative technology and techniques. The use of cutting-edge equipment and digital platforms can alter how art is imagined, created, and consumed. Artists in the digital age are more than just makers; they are innovators, using technology to stretch their imaginations and alter the artistic experience.
The democratization of creation is one of the most disruptive characteristics of technology in art. Artists no longer need pricey supplies or specific studio locations to bring our thoughts to life, thanks to the emergence of digital tools. For some, tablets and styluses have replaced the canvas and brush in the hands of artists, allowing them to create exquisite digital artworks with precision and finesse. This ease of access has allowed a wide diversity of voices and styles to flourish, breaking down traditional barriers in the art industry.
Technology has played a critical role in democratizing the creative process in the field of art and creativity. We have seen a dramatic shift in accessibility, which has made artistic expression more inclusive and widespread. People from all fields may now express their creativity without breaking the bank, thanks to the availability of low-cost digital tools. Our digital age has brought with it a plethora of online learning venues, allowing aspiring us to easily hone their skills. These platforms give a plethora of knowledge, helping us to explore and experiment, whether it's mastering basic methods or delving into complex art forms.
Virtual communities, meanwhile, have evolved as thriving areas for artists to network, collaborate, and promote our work. We may engage with a global audience through these online forums, building a sense of community that goes beyond geographical locations. Open-source software has broken down even more boundaries, providing strong creative tools without the financial restraints that are sometimes associated with proprietary software. Furthermore, crowdsourcing and patronage sites have transformed the way artists support their projects. We can directly fund our creative projects with the help of supporters and art fans, circumventing traditional gatekeepers and ensuring our artistic dreams come to life. In essence, technology has democratized art by making it more accessible, collaborative, and diverse than ever before, thereby inspiring a new wave of creative expression around the world.
The art of storytelling has been transformed by technology. Immersive narratives have been presented by Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), allowing viewers to go inside the artist's world. One thing I find interesting with this is how my design and art students converge on this and work together to see how AR can be incorporated with their work (thanks to software like Adobe Aero). We can use VR to create three-dimensional worlds and interactive experiences that blur the barrier between observer and observed. Currently, I am part of the campus fellowship on studying art and VR and have been using it in my drawing class—it’s been not only a great way to showcase work but to interact with each other in that space. Imagine strolling through a digital art gallery where paintings come to life, sculptures change shape, and colors move in unison - all made possible by combining art and technology.
Storytelling. You’ll hear me (and my fellow profs) talk a lot about story and narrative in the classroom. Why is the narrative aspect important to us as artists and as artists using tech? The story element is essential in the realms of art and art/tech because it bridges the gap between the creator, you, the artist, and the audience. Our ability to build narratives into our works gives depth and meaning, allowing viewers to engage with the artwork on an emotional level. Storytelling becomes a powerful instrument that accompanies the audience, through our creative journey in the digital age, where technology combines with artistic expression. We can engage your senses and emotions by constructing narratives within our digital artworks utilizing modern technology, immersing you in a rich, multidimensional experience. We not only share our artistic vision through these storytelling, but we also urge the viewer to actively engage in the story, building a sense of closeness and connection. In essence, tales amplify the power of art and technology, transforming a simple visual encounter into a profoundly meaningful and lasting engagement between us, the artists, and the audience.
A bit more on AR/VR…
We artists have had amazing chances to present our work and explore new channels of creative expression with the emergence of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). You may curate immersive exhibitions and virtual art galleries using these technologies, inviting visitors to enter a digital universe where our creations come to life. Wearing a VR headset allows you to immerse yourself in a virtual realm, freely explore artworks from every angle. AR, on the other hand, superimposes our digital artworks onto the actual world, visible via devices such as smartphones or AR glasses, allowing you to experience our pieces in unusual and unusual contexts. Don’t want to wear the headset? No worries! You can still experience the gallery without it (which is the application I’ve been studying of VR exhibitions).
Aside from standard presentation methods, VR and AR are potentially powerful tools for us to experiment with and push the limits of our creativity. You may use VR as a canvas to create three-dimensional artworks and full virtual environments with which people can engage. This immersive approach enables us to build multimodal experiences that engage not only your sense of sight but also your sense of sound and, in some circumstances, touch, depending on the technology at hand. AR's ability to incorporate digital aspects into the physical environment enables us to weave engaging and strange storylines by blending reality and fantasy. There’s a tool called Tilt Brush which will allow you to “paint” in the virtual space. This has been a fun application to experiment with—to be able to paint with light and dimension.
VR and AR technology can be used as artistic mediums in and of themselves. You may now dabble in VR art, painting, sculpting, and design in previously imagined ways. These digital creations can subsequently be shared and experienced in virtual places by others. Similarly, AR art installations can convert ordinary settings into spectacular ones by infusing them with layers of meaning, symbolism, and creativity.
You knew I’d bring it up…so what about AI?
The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed the creative process. AI algorithms can evaluate massive datasets of art history, styles, and techniques, allowing artists to experiment with new ideas and visual expressions. Collaborations between artists and artificial intelligence have produced artworks in which human ingenuity meets machine intelligence. This fusion of human intuition and algorithmic power calls into question traditional concepts of authorship and raises intriguing issues about the nature of art itself. In several episodes of my Oh Hello Robot Podcast (where I “chat” with AI), we discuss the role of collaboration between person and machine.
We can investigate AI tools to help us with our creative activities. Platforms like Midjourney or Runway ML give you access to a number of pre-trained machine learning models, such as style transfer algorithms and object recognition models, allowing you to experiment with various AI-powered strategies in your work. Similarly, OpenAI tools like DeepArt and DALL-E enable you to create unique and visually attractive artworks based on verbal descriptions or by creatively integrating diverse visual elements. Furthermore, Google's Magenta Studio provides AI-powered tools meant for musicians and composers, allowing you to produce music and experiment with new aural possibilities with the help of machine learning algorithms. Stabile Diffusion is a solid free option to explore what AI art can “do” and Adobe’s been integrating it into Photoshop and Illustrator and you can also explore it free on their Adobe Firefly.
New types of art, such as generative art and algorithmic design, have also emerged as a result of the digital domain. Generative art entails developing algorithms that generate visual outputs, resulting in an infinite number of patterns, forms, and colors. The generative art's dynamic, ever-changing nature challenges the static character of traditional art forms, drawing viewers into a world of perpetual change and discovery. Algorithmic design, on the other hand, combines mathematical precision with artistic sensibility to create elaborate designs that both captivate the sight and excite the mind. Technology has changed the way people encounter and share art. Social media platforms function as virtual galleries, allowing artists to instantly expose their work to a global audience. Art aficionados can study various art genres, follow their favorite artists, and engage in cross-cultural art conversations. Digital art marketplaces and blockchain technology have pioneered new models of art ownership and provenance, ensuring that artists are adequately compensated for their work while also offering collectors with transparent, safe transactions.
As we embrace these technical breakthroughs, it is important to recognize the challenges that the digital revolution in art brings. The digital media presents concerns about artwork authenticity and preservation. Digital artworks, unlike traditional paintings or sculptures, can be easily duplicated or altered, challenging traditional conceptions of originality and distinctiveness. To address these problems and protect the integrity of digital art, artists and technologists are constantly investigating solutions such as blockchain-based certificates of authenticity and digital watermarks (Adobe Firefly is good for this). Art and technology integration has ushered in a new era of creation, changing the artistic landscape in previously imagined ways. Artists are no longer constrained by physical limitations, but instead have the freedom to explore endless possibilities in the digital environment. The merging of art and technology has democratized creation, broadened the possibilities of storytelling, and given birth to unique art forms that engage and inspire audiences all over the world. One thing is certain as we continue on this aspect of research and innovation: art and technology will continue to impact the future of creation, opening doors to undiscovered realms of imagination and expression.
Some ideas for getting started using technology in your art more (in the event you are a traditional artist looking to explore and experiment in something new!):
There are various project ideas to consider if you are a traditional medium-based artist wishing to integrate AI into your artistic practice. One alternative is to experiment with AI-driven style transfer, which allows you to apply techniques from famous painters or historical art movements to your own paintings or sketches. This mix of conventional and digital materials enables you to create one-of-a-kind, hybrid artworks that combine classical techniques with modern aesthetics.
In order to do this, you can use a variety of applications and tools that can do this. Midjourney is a good one to explore (there is a free trial) as well as previously discussed Adobe Firefly. Stable Diffusion and Dalle-3 are good for the beginner as well. Runway ML is a prominent style transfer platform that gives artists with an easy-to-use interface as well as access to pre-trained machine learning models, including style transfer methods. DeepArt is another online application that allows artists to apply classic artwork styles or their own original styles to their photographs, resulting in visually appealing outcomes.
Furthermore, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe After Effects include plugins and effects that use neural style transfer techniques, allowing artists to apply a variety of artistic styles to their digital artworks. The newest version of Photoshop and Illustrator have AI integrations and has many new and exciting ways to blend worlds. Open-source tools like TensorFlow and PyTorch allow artists who are skilled with programming to develop bespoke style transfer algorithms, allowing for a more personalized and individualized approach to the process.
Another project idea is to employ AI to inspire your art. You can use AI-powered tools like DALL-E to generate a collection of visual suggestions by entering keywords, phrases, or emotions. These prompts can serve as the foundation for your traditional artworks, giving you new and surprising ideas to explore within your favorite media. This AI-generated inspiration process can result in creative and thought-provoking works that reflect a harmonic blend of human intuition and machine-generated notions. I have been working with generating textures and overlays that I then print out and paint/draw/work on top of in my process (think of it like a page without the blank page syndrome!). You can also create imagery to print out and collage with in your analog pieces.
Consider using generative adversarial networks (GANs) to create totally new pieces of art (this is a bit more advanced, as a heads up!). You can generate new works inspired by your artistic style by training a GAN on your existing body of work. These created artworks can be used to inspire traditional paintings or sculptures, allowing you to rethink and recreate your own artistic expressions in partnership with AI. (More on this later in it’s own topic because it’s a bit more intensive!)
You could investigate the relationship between traditional art and augmented reality (AR). AR applications can be used to overlay digital elements onto actual artworks, producing immersive and engaging experiences for spectators. You can add layers of depth, motion, or information to your traditional pieces by incorporating AR technology, transforming them into dynamic, multimedia art experiences.
Incorporating these AI-powered projects into your artistic practice provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to broaden your creative horizons, experiment with new methodologies, and engage in a dialogue between the traditional and the cutting-edge. Accepting these novel concepts can enrich our artistic journey by bringing new perspectives and opening possibilities to a world where conventional and digital arts coexist together.
