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The Future of Visionary Art in an Era of Ai
Today we feature another addition to our Psychedelic Café series. This time exploring what art means and what the meaning of art might become in a growing era of ai generated art-like images flooding the mindspace of humanity through consumptive digital media channels.
The cafe is a curated collection of participants who, through a structure series of rounds, explore together a single question.
The question we are exploring is: What does the meaning of art look like in an era of increasingly-accessible AI art generators with increasingly powerful capacities for fidelity and complexity?
And our guests are Autumn Skye, Simon Haiduk, Evan Bartholomew (aka Bluetech), Martina Hoffman, Chor Boogie, Dan De Santos, and Michael Phillip.
Given the topic of this episode, and with somewhat of a transgressive attitude, I decided to have chatGPT write our opening overture. Here’s what it had to say on the prompt: “Write me a 250 word script for the introduction of a podcast featuring a group of professional visionary artists having a discussion on the pros and cons of AI art generators for the future of art.”
In today’s episode, we have a panel of experts who have been at the forefront of exploring the possibilities and limitations of AI in art. They’ll be sharing their thoughts on how AI is shaping the art world and what it means for the future of creativity.
We live in a world where technology is advancing at a rapid pace, and art is no exception. AI art generators are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and some argue that they have the potential to revolutionize the way we create and consume art. But with this new technology also comes a lot of questions. Is AI capable of creating truly original and meaningful art? Or is it just a tool for generating endless variations of pre-existing styles?
Our panel of experts will be diving into these questions and more, sharing their own experiences with AI art generators and offering their unique perspectives on the future of the art world. They’ll be discussing the pros and cons of using AI in art, and exploring how it can be used in a way that enhances, rather than replaces, human creativity.
So sit back, relax, and join us for an enlightening and thought-provoking discussion on the future of art and AI.
…
Oddly accurate, but clearly biassed towards a positive view of ai. The last point for example, “exploring how it can be used in a way that enhances, rather than replaces, human creativity” is definitely talked about, but the atrophy of human creativity amid an infinite pool of ai content content to consume instead is also a very strong theme in this conversation.
Other topics we cover include how ai art generators work; why they don’t actually copy anything from an image; and A spiritual way to work with Ai art as ceremony. We also talk about the spiritual harm of ai art generation; the legal and ethical questions around ai use of artists’ work without consent; is ai art, actually art; and how a flood of ai art generators might culturally downgrade the monetary value of actual art. Finally, we explore ai meeting our cultural compulsion to consume, rather than truly create; ai art prompting as a kind of compulsion/binge; if art alters consciousness, what quality of consciousness is ai art cultivating in us; losing our connection to nature and our humanity in favour of a transhumanist fallacy; and ai art generators as a new archetypal container for reality, the birth of a new god; and more.
Finally, I would also like to add that, also intentional transgressively, the art (or perhaps is it merely an image) that I made for this episode was made with a collection of midjourney images I prompted and then complied together in photoshop.
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Our Guests For This Psychedelic Cafe
Simon Haiduk
Growing up in British Columbia, Canada, Simon Haiduk developed a strong affinity for nature with creative foundations in visual art and music. In 2004 he gravitated towards painting as a full-time endeavor bringing his musical background into the visual realm. Simon has explored many visual mediums, often with a strong influence on spiritual themes connected to nature.
In 2007 he graduated from Vancouver Film School, where he learned motion-graphics, among many other creative topics within the Digital Design program. That led him to animate many of his paintings now used in live VJ performances with various global music acts, including his own. He continues to produce music by himself and collaboratively. Within art galleries, festivals, conventions, and online platforms, his work is exhibited globally. Simon currently works out of his studio in BC, Canada, while continuing to explore an ever-expanding palette of creative endeavors.
His primary focus is on digital painting and creating animated versions for his continually evolving audiovisual concert called Metta Grove.
Check out Simon’s Website here: https://simonhaiduk.com/
And his Instagram here: simonhaidukart
Martina Hoffmann
German-born, Martina Hoffmann’s works as a painter and sculptress and remains a central figure in contemporary Visionary Art. Her paintings offer the viewer a detailed glimpse into her inner landscapes – imagery that has been inspired by expanded states of consciousness. Her Visionary Realism is decidedly feminine and places the ‘Universal Woman’ in an intimate cosmos. She transcribes her ecstatic experiences but also her subtle reflections on the nature of women in a realistic style which marries the fantastic to the sacred.
Hoffmann’s work has also been published in numerous books and magazines as well as created original art and photography for numerous CD as well as book and magazine covers.
Martina Hoffmann has been exhibiting her work worldwide since 1985 and is represented in the permanent collection of NAIA Museum, France.
Check out Martina’s website here: https://www.martinahoffmann.com/
And her Instagram here:martina_hoffmann_art
Chor Boogie
Chor Boogie aka Joaquin Lamar Hailey is an internationally acclaimed spray paint artist. His visionary murals and art exhibitions have graced many countries across the globe. Societe Perrier honored him as number three among their Top Ten U.S. Street Artists of 2014. He uses his voice and work as an artist to raise awareness about sacred plant medicines and drug policy reform. After the profound personal healing with the Iboga medicine that is described in HEART MEDICINE, he also went on to experience the Missoko Bwiti initiation and Rite of Passage in Gabon, Africa and has since become successfully trained as an iboga facilitator in the Bwiti tradition.
Check out Chor’s website here: https://chorboogie.com/ | His Instagram here @gnyangou
Check out Chor’s Iboga Retreat Center here: https://soulcentro.com/
Check out Chor’s interviews on the podcast: INTIMACY, IBOGA, AND HEROIN ADDICTION ~ EP. 60 and ON BEING A BLACK ADVOCATE IN THE PSYCHEDELIC RENAISSANCE ~ PSYCHEDELIC CAFÉ 1
Autumn Skye
“I believe that artwork has the potential to be maps which can help guide humanity forward into new and positive ways of seeing and being. I offer my artwork as a mirror, both an intimate personal reflection and a grand archetypical revelation. Within these visions, may each viewer recognize their own sacred heart and cosmic divinity, and remember the innate grace that dwells within.“
Autumn Skye‘s acrylic and oil paintings weave together refined realism, iconic symbolism, and etheric glow. She teaches and exhibits worldwide, and otherwise paints and thrives on the beautiful Sunshine Coast of BC, Canada. Considering herself immensely blessed, Autumn Skye strives to support others through creative empowerment and the perpetuation of inspiration.
Check out Autumn’s website here: https://autumnskyeart.com/
And her Instagram here: autumnskyeart
Evan Bartholomew / Bluetech
Evan Bartholomew has been performing electronic music for nearly 20 years as Bluetech. In that time his music has been showcased all over the world and details of his 2023 tour can be found here. He has produced dozens of albums and also has a portfolio of video game and film/tv scoring credits. His visual art is a sacred iteration of dreams and ceremony made using various digital technology including custom trained ai models.
Check out Evan Bluetech’s Music: https://bluetech.bandcamp.com/music
And his Instagram to see his visual art: bluetechofficial
Check Out Dennis McKenna’s interview on ATTMind: WE DON’T KNOW SH!T | ATTMind 67
Dan De Santos
Well known for his colorful oil paintings, most often depicting strong women, Dan dos Santos’ work spans a variety of genres, including advertising, comics, film and video games, but he is best known for his distinctive book cover work. He has worked for clients such as Disney, Universal Studios, Activision, Scholastic Books, The Greenwich Workshop, Penguin Books, Random House, UpperDeck, Wizards of the Coast, DC Comics, and many, many more.
Dan has been the recipient of many awards. He is a ‘Rhodes Family Scholarship’ winner, a five time ‘Hugo Award’ Nominee for Best Artist, Jack Gauhan Award Winner, Chesley Award Winner, and has received both Gold and Silver Medals from ‘Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art’. His illustrations have graced the #1 spot on the New York Times Best Seller list numerous times, and his covers can be seen in bookstores in dozens of countries around the world. Simply put, Dan dos Santos is one the most recognized artists in his field. With hundreds of book covers to his credit, his vision has helped shape what the Fantasy market is today.
Check out Dan’ Website here: www.dandossantos.com
His Instagram here: dandossantos_art
Michael Phillip
Michael Phillip is a podcaster, writer and wonder-seeker.
His show, Third Eye Drops
He holds a B.A. in Journalism.
Michaels’ podcast Third Eye Drops is available here: https://thirdeyedrops.com/about/
His Instagram here: third_eye_drops
Episode Breakdown and Timestamps
- (0:00) Opening
- (2:18) Overture
- (7:36) Patreon thanks
- (8:33) Participant Introductions
- (15:49) Introducing the question:
- (176:27) Ai art is inevitable
- (19:32) Ai as a bypass of the raw creative process
- (23:52) Ai art prompting as a kind of compulsion/binge
- (27:22) Ai isn’t art but something entirely new; the birth of a new god
- (29:32) The legal and ethical questions around ai use of artists’ work without consent
- (34:14) Ai meets our cultural compulsion to consume, rather than truly create
- (35:55) A spiritual way to work with Ai art as ceremony; image generation vs making art
- (40:39) A flood of ai art generators culturally downgrading the monetary value of actual art
- (43:00) The spiritual harm of ai art generation
- (46:04) If artists feel threatened by Ai, then they need to step up their game
- (51:33) Resisting the pull towards living a solely digital life by doubling down on the physical act of creation
- (1:01:34) Ai art generators as a new archetypal container for reality
- (1:02:50) How ai art generators work; the latent space
- (1:06:43) If art alters consciousness, what quality of consciousness is ai art cultivating in us?
- (1:11:55) “The ai does not copy anything from the image”
- (1:16:39) Losing our connection to nature and our humanity in favour of a transhumanist fallacy
- (1:21:49) A heated exchange on being “transparent” about artists using digital tools
(1:31:15) Trending novel technologies as a platform for massive shadow projection - (1:32:51) The danger of human creativity being atrophied due to the ease of access of digital content
- (1:36:26) The dishonesty of not claiming when art is made through digital means
- (1:40:59) Ai art generators as a means to satisfy our need to create, without having to leave the easy consumption of digital content
- (1:45:11) We need human creativity, even for ai art to be worthwhile
- (1:46:21) Artistic editing vs artistic creation
- (1:49:13) The dilution of the power of art by a deluge of ai content
- (1:52:53) Closing thoughts on this conversation
- (1:54:25) Ai art generators as an avenue for non-creative people to explore the creation of beautiful images
- (1:58:33) Learning faith through the process of artistic creation (and the journey of life)
- (2:02:59) Do we choose to surrender our souls to the matrix of digital novelty or stay in the light of a higher principle?
- (2:05:05) An expression of hope for us to remember our humanity in the face of ongoing technological novelty
- (2:10:26) Wondering about intentions, psychedelics, and resisting the pull to getting locked into an ai reality
- (2:13:42) The potential for ai is so incredible, but generating art seems like a dangerous waste of that potential
- (2:15:28) The debate around art generators reveals the meta-crisis we are all in.
- (2:18:30) Closing
What Is The Psychedelic Café?
The Psychedelic Café is a structured conversational space exploring various, deep questions about the nature of mind, life, and reality.
Each cafe features a curated selection of 4-5 people to explore a question according to a specific structure. This conversational style modelled after Vicki Robins and Susan Partnow’s Conversation Café. I first learned this form from Jean Robertson, forged in The Liminal Space Agency
Why this style?
The cafe structure creates a quality and dynamic of conversation, idea sharing, and mutual learning that is incredibly ripe and valuable for not only the people involved but the listening audience who will be able to listen to it afterward. In the current times of uncertainty, complexity, and change, I believe the psychedelic cafe will offer content not otherwise available in a time where it is deeply needed. If you want to try doing your own cafe, instructions on how to do so can be found here.
