let's steal some art

Every once in a while, you see something so magnificent, so remarkable that it makes you question (or reaffirm) a higher power. Being surrounded by larger-than-life murals that engulf a building and its books - all of which you must kneel to reach - forces everyone to get down into a position to pray, to acknowledge the tales of creation and destruction all around.

This type of transcendental architecture, as some call it, is best left for the surreality of Mexico. The painstaking decade-long process behind the murals is mind-boggling, reminding us that quality art not only takes time but patience.

Is It Okay?

It is AI as we now know it - the large language models, the imitators, the post-Google world, the answers to our burning questions, the robot companions to our collective conscience.

Robin Sloan attempts to explain what is looming on our screens— this new Everything that arises from combining the vast knowledge of the Internet into a vague, powerful entity. Specifically, he asks: What value does this bring, and at what cost? I often wonder a similar question, but with an asterisk: And what for?

I agree, with a visceral yes. However, perhaps there are other use cases, such as AI as reasoning machines and the culmination of collective decisions or experiences that could propel medicine, science, engineering, etc. Does this outweigh the cost of AI generating unwanted or ‘stolen’ art (though, as Robin does point out, art could evolve to other mediums)?

The latest Ghibli trend with ChatGPT while seemingly wholesome, does fall into into this ethical grey area. Sure, it's cute, and sure, it's novel, but if I were an animator or visual artist, I would be much more concerned. One artist remarks on the increasingly common trend of seeing her work used without permission. Meanwhile, a counterpoint can be made by fans of an artist’s work, especially if that artist is no longer with us today.

The answer to: “is it okay?” appears to be a personal one. However, I challenge you to ask yourself instead, “Is it okay to use it like this?”

No Phone, No Problem

In Mexico, I traveled with a friend who did not carry a phone for the entire trip. I did not lose sight of the irony that we had met and befriended each other on the internet…through our phones.

Do you remember how life used to feel without smartphones? People documenting their lives without smartphones feels like the quintessential 21st-century anthropological experiment. Some statistics are hard to swallow, namely:

If you spend 3 hours a day on your phone, it ends up being 10 years of your waking adult life.

Without a phone, you are forced to rely on instinct. But maybe this is a good thing? The overstimulation of technology has become the norm, making me wonder if we are due for a nostalgic blast from the past with flip phones and stripped-down hardware. For those who are not quite ready to take that plunge (myself included), Clearspace has helped me limit social media time dramatically:

Cool Art that’s Hard to Steal

• Pep talk (audio) - have some kindergartners in California make your day through this adorable project

• Maps throughout History (resource) - fascinating interactive way to see how borders and landmarks have shifted in the last few centuries (see here for other “powerful” websites)

• Beautiful flower art (installation) - unbelievable immersive art experience

Rizz Me Up?

One of my dear readers has informed me that Los Angeles has a super dope Risograph Print Studio. I’ll be taking a class sometime next month, details below if anyone wants to share a group class!