Mary Magdalene AI Transcendence
The Process of Making Art, AI & the Power of Love
Last week I premiered Light of the Rose (mixed digital) my new 24” x 36” limited edition archival print celebrating Mary Magdalene...a timeless and powerful symbol of divine love.
Little did I realize that the creation of this uplifting and spiritual image would spark some controversy on Facebook. Throughout my career I have been transparent about my art techniques and have shared much of it in art magazines to inspire upcoming artists. As most of you know I am a devotee of experimentation and exploring new art making paradigms whether in the high touch or high tech realms. I am mostly fearless in this regard and have destroyed many pieces of art in the process of this quest.
Light of the Rose was predominantly loved with more than 222 likes and uplifting comments. Then someone asked, “Did you use AI at any moment in your mixed digital process?” and I responded with a description of the many, high touch and high tech processes I use, which recently has included some AI. Then the critics chimed in...
“GenAI is cheating, it's plagiarism, and it's by no means "virtuosic". It’s not a tool; it's automation. It does all the work for you, makes all the choices, at the expense of your fellow creatives. It really does feel like selling out.”
“…a program that chews through natural resources and disregards copyright, at the expense of your fellow creatives...and the thinking world.”
“Gonna follow real artists instead of people who sympathize with gen AI. Lazy. Why should anyone value your work if you can’t be bothered to do it all yourself like the rest of us?”
In my 45 years as an art professional I have heard much art criticism about my art and others. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, however it makes more sense that opinions are based on some factual information, or personal experience. Do these experts know the techniques I use to conceptualize the idea (which is the foundation of my art); or my work flow starting with sketches; composition; reference gathering; value studies; lighting; color comps; painting techniques; digital techniques; building/destroying textures; and the many other processes that make up a single piece of artwork, which may or may not include AI? No, they don’t because there is way to much of a dance between myself and the piece to determine the exact moves that artwork is going to take.
Tech has always been a disrupter. Whether it was the printing press putting illuminators out of work; photography competing with painting; the de-humanizing assembly line concept used for making automobiles and other items; computers taking over many positions in the publishing arena; electronic books; etc. There is usually an up side, and a down side. Hopefully we learn how to use the benefits in a holistic fashion, keeping in mind how it affects people, the environment, etc.
For instance, the way AI models were trained on other artist's work without the artist's permission, nor compensating them, was unethical by these companies and potentially illegal. Am I considered an accomplice to this artist abuse, and as one AI hater informed me, “that I am propping myself up by standing on the backs of artists.”
It is my experience, that we are all standing on the shoulders of creative giants, AI is standing on our shoulders now, we will stand on the shoulders of AI... it is the history of art, and will continue to evolve.
AI is a game changer, and I can understand why so many artists I know are freaking out and are blaming it for their diminished art careers. However, I think of all the artists (dead and alive) that have inspired and taught me during my lifetime, from museums to books and how I stored all that knowledge in the magnificent tech of my mind. I am still accessing that data bank for my creative purposes. It’s a little like AI… what a conundrum.
My art processes include many different high touch tools (just about every drawing and painting tool on the planet) and when the computer arrived on the scene, high tech tools (2d and 3d digital apps). Just depended on what was being produced and sometimes how fast a piece needs to be created i.e. deadlines, etc.
More important is my philosophy of making art, which has been a "no holds barred" approach in whatever technique I use, it includes a lot of process, experimentation, destruction and rebuilding of the image, whether it is drawn or painted or in some digital format.
AI is a powerful program, and like any form of reference or inspirational influence, be it a piece of art, photograph, film or artist style, it needs to be used responsibly and in the service of the artist's vision. I already know I can draw and paint anything I choose to produce using AI or not, so do not use it as a crutch or because I am lazy. I use whatever tools or processes available to elevate my personal vision and take it to places that I did not know existed.
I am a fierce protector of artist sovereignty, and this principle shaped my ethics, conceptual strategies, and image making practices. At the end of the day, whatever techniques I use must compliment the story that is being told in the image, communicate an idea or concept that brings us to a new awareness, and that the art is imbued with a sense of transcendence, touching people deeply. If I can accomplish that – fulfilling the mind, body, spirit attributes that I aspired to in the artwork, then I consider it a successful piece. After considerable effort, as is the case in learning any new technology, I feel like I am standing on the shoulders of AI… and the view is pretty spectacular up here.
Take a look at the conversations on that Facebook post. There was sublime and insightful dialogue, articulating the finer points of art creation within our world of evolving technology.
Here are a few highlights-
“With Generative AI being here to stay, just as it was the case with photography or the advent of Photoshop, as long as we immerse ourselves into a creative process, the artistic dialog between the all-that-is and the conduit, there will be art - whether we include AI or not. In the world of fine art - the question is more about how we can use it to incorporate it into the artistic process and elevate our vision and our message far beyond what’s possible with a single click of a button. The advent of new technologies is a call for courage to start a NEW conversation in the artistic creation process. Visual art will not and cannot exist in pencil and egg tempera or marble alone for all eternity. Evolution demands for this to become a ‘Yes, AND...’ –Silas Rhodes
“Interesting to see how Ai has become such a hot potato. My own feelings are I prefer not to use it, but there is no doubt that there has been some beautiful images made, and it will only get less and less obvious. The Mary Magdalene idea is stunning, however it was made. Being an artist of traditional methods, you have the creative advantage, like photographers who used film....it’s about tradition and respect for previous generations of artists.” – Nik Mather
“First of all, Greg, it’s a stunning image you’ve created, and it is your direction and understanding that created it. The conversation about AI and art is crucial now. AI is a powerful tool for creatives. We learn art through observation, imitation, and mentoring, synthesizing this over years of experience. AI has learned these aspects much faster. Much of the dissonance stems from misunderstandings of how the tools work and ethical frameworks applied to them.” – Peter Comitini
Back to Mary Magdalene…it was important to me that this representation of Mary, who is revered around the globe, evoked a spiritual vibration, connecting deeply to the viewer. My goal was to transcend the mediums used to create it, and in a word, produce a sense of awe. Was I successful? That is up for you to decide.
"Princess of the Magdala. Digital or not, love it." –Ralph Maheno
Mary Magdalene won over people’s hearts in that Facebook post, despite some AI detractors, because her message for the world has been about love and living from that sacred space within us. Celebrated for over two thousand years, she is now seeing a resurgence of her teachings.
Some prints are still left in this special limited edition-
Go Here to Purchase Light of the Rose
Go Here to Learn More about Mary Magdalene and the Art
The Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene is celebrated in various forms on July 22nd. There is a special gathering in Santa Fe and Roxana Villa and Shiva Rose co-created a beautiful Mary Magdalene anointing oil.