Over time, we have come to the conclusion that innovation and creativity are the future of humanity. Also, we learn that better and more exciting ideas are what satisfies people. Creativity is still the foundation of human welfare and life. They are evident in all spheres of society and the economy, and the arts are no different. In general, art is the visual manifestation of human creativity and imagination. People largely value paintings or sculptures for their aesthetic value or emotional power.
- In this article we’ll try to answer four frequently asked questions about AI in the arts world:
- What are the benefits and drawbacks of AI in art?
- What are the comparisons between traditional art and modern art?
- How can artists make use of AI as an aiding tool rather than a threat?
- What are some things that AI-generated artwork cannot replace?
Comparison Between Traditional Art and Modern Art
A group of people’s traditional art is an element of their culture, which is passed down through generations along with their skills and expertise. The primary goal is to use narrative to depict reality or realism. Let’s look at the image above, which illustrates how traditional art describes the background of Zimbabwe’s Kariba dam.
Although the Zambezi River’s power was harnessed during the construction of the Kariba Dam to provide hydroelectric power for Zambia and Zimbabwe, the dam’s construction was not without tradition. I learned about the history of the Tonga people who lived in the region firsthand when I visited the dam in the early 2000s. The artwork above is an example of traditional art that captures the realism of these people when they were still living in the area.
Analysing The Kariba Art Piece
The snake-symbolizing head at the top is a representation of the well-known Nyaminyami in the area. Some Tonga people are said to have worshipped the snake and seen it as a helper and guide. There may have been two Nyaminyami snakes—a male and a female—that were split apart during the construction of the dam by French engineers for hydropower. The two are thought to have been separated by the bridge connecting Zimbabwe and Zambia, and reports of bridge tremors are thought to be the result of the snakes attempting to mate. Many people still have unanswered questions regarding the Nyaminyami’s past.
The second section of the artwork shows Tonga women kneeling, symbolizing their respectful cultural practices in both daily life and traditional rites. The third section features Tonga women’s bangles, which are a symbol of their culture. In the fourth section, gourds with seeds inside (hosho) are seen, which Tonga women employ in customary rituals. The hand of the king or ruler, who served as the last arbiter in most tribes, is included in the fifth section.
The last object is a smoking pipe used by the Tonga people. This piece of art exemplifies realism—the artistic process’s inclusion of actual events—and is an example of traditional Zimbabwean art. The principal disciplines of traditional art include painting, drawing, sculpture, and printmaking. An artwork needs to portray reality in order to be categorized as traditional.
Modern Art
Modern art, on the other hand, focuses more on experimenting with novel concepts in a visual format and figuring out how to make the work enjoyable and innovative. It is crucial to understand that emotional impact is increasingly undervalued in modern art, with a greater focus on the piece’s beauty and entertainment value. There is no such thing as realism; instead, an artist might create something that appeared out of thin air in an effort to win over viewers. Let’s look at the following example of contemporary art.
It is evident that the artwork lacks realism in favor of greater imagination, which explains why modern art lacks the emotional impact of traditional art. The image showcases a wonderfully made black woman, making it enjoyable to observe and acknowledge the artist’s creative vision. It is crucial to understand that modern art does consider realism, but to a lower extent than traditional art. Still, some modern works of art do consider realism and have strong emotional undertones. Combining the two can result in the most comprehensive piece of art that meets all the boxes.
AI vs Human art
The Benefits of AI
1. Availability
AI generated art is highly available almost 24/7 through just a click of a button. Human art comprises of hand-crafted art which can be affected when the artist is ill or dead as there won’t be the desired artwork, but AI is available throughout and gives some form of an assurance.
2. Cost Reduction
AI drastically reduces costs, having a computer that run multiple commands can produce more artwork in a short space of time as opposed to long human artwork which is expensive taking into account the cost of crafting tools such as paper, stones and paints.
3. Data Abundance & Analysis
Data abundance and analysis. AI have a large source of data which can be manipulated a million times to produce the most complete artwork as well as the capability of performing analysis given a short time.
Drawbacks of AI in art
1. Emotionless
Most AI generated art is based on experimental factors which deviate from the real world as the main focus is on try a new idea. This prompts the creative and emotional power of AI art as the end product got less emotional attachments as opposed to traditional art.
2. Complexity
There are some unique expressions which AI find difficult to comprehend and produce the much-required artwork, computers are programmed to perform a certain function which may not be appropriate for complex scenarios.
3. Threat To Real Art
The rising AI is seen as a threat to modern human art to some extent and more technological advancement mean more risk to human generated artwork as AI is fast and capable to producing artwork more that humans can within their scope.
How Artists Can Use AI In Their Craft
The saying goes, “It is better to see the glass half full rather than half empty.” Technology is advancing at an alarming rate, and the reality is that no one is standing in its way. If artists are able to communicate with AI, the technology can be of immense use to them. Let’s examine the key elements that artists need to think about in order to work closely with AI to create art.
AI give new ideas through overuse of patterns and experimentations. Overuse of patterns is considered a drawback of AI in art as it generates work with too many patterns that a normal human being can’t comprehend. This helps in generating new ideas through abundant data.
AI can be programmed to perform certain functions on a faster and effective manner. Humans are the mind behind AI anywhere and can make demand prompts for computers to perform a certain function.
Things AI Generated Art Cannot Replace!
Even with the rapid growth of technology, some things—like hand or machine curved art—are beyond the capabilities of AI tools like Midjourney. Sculpture is one instance. The physical aspect of sculptures in an attractive setting is what makes them so beloved. For more emotional impact, people must physically touch the sculpture or view the artwork; artificial intelligence is unable to create such works of art. The sculptures in the picture below are from all over the world.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there is little doubt that AI and human art may complement one another. Despite using distinct methods, both aim to exhibit originality and emotional impact. Modern art, where experimenting with new ideas is the primary focus, is a better fit for AI. While human art also involves experimentation, most of its pieces have an emotional impact. Because humans are better at understanding what kinds of problems can be solved with what kinds of procedures than AI is, human ideas may be encoded into computers to make artwork more quickly and in a complementary manner, resulting in artwork that fully checks all the boxes.
***End of Article***
Important Links
To read articles offline, please follow the WhatsApp Channel here.
Be a part of the discussions with the authors, please join the community WhatsApp Group Here.
To read more articles Click Here.
About The Author
Aspiring financial coach Frank Mhlanga is a passionate writer of essays in the art and entertainment, as well as the finance and investing sectors. He also wants to pursue an agricultural company. Currently, he holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and Banking.