Photography AI as art

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MattKing

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Photos reach the level of art when they also stir our souls.

And of course, not everyone's soul is stirred by the same thing.
I refer back to my earlier post about Anne Geddes and William Wegman.
 
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And of course, not everyone's soul is stirred by the same thing.
I refer back to my earlier post about Anne Geddes and William Wegman.

Some like blondes; others like brunettes. Me? My wife is a redhead.
 

DREW WILEY

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Souls get stirred by all kinds of things - hate, contempt, jealously, intrigue, sheer disgust. So it's not surprising that one of the trendy definitions of art, frequently exploited in photography too, implies that if it offends people, it must be art. But don't expect me to buy any of those museum tickets.
 

faberryman

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Shall we have the “what is art?” discussion once more?

You were the one that suggested that elephant and insect paintings are art, so I was just asking who told you they were art and why did you believe them. Was it the marketing department at the zoo? Or perhaps you came to that conclusion on your own. If so, how? And why characterize them as art rather than as just elephant and insect paintings? Was their something that compelled you to make that leap.
 
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For starters fun. There are many more reasons.

Art encompasses fun. Anything that stirs the soul (or mind and feelings) is art. Laughter, fun, love, hate, etc are all feelings that art stimulates.
 

Pieter12

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You were the one that suggested that elephant and insect paintings are art, so I was just asking who told you they were art and why did you believe them. Was it the marketing department at the zoo? Or perhaps you came to that conclusion on your own. If so, how? And why characterize them as art rather than as just elephant and insect paintings? Was their something that compelled you to make that leap.

See post 161 for example.
 

chuckroast

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First, I will stipulate that a lot of so-called contemporary "art" may well be indistinguishable from elephant excrement.

But I would know the difference when I ask for the name and background of the "artist". If it's not human made, it's not art. This is not some wild eyed ideological stance I'm taking here. As I have pointed out previously in this thread, that's the definition that was held by almost all humans across all cultures and geographies for millenia. It has only come to be questioned by the "all truth is personal, nothing is really true" crowd.
 

Pieter12

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First, I will stipulate that a lot of so-called contemporary "art" may well be indistinguishable from elephant excrement.

But I would know the difference when I ask for the name and background of the "artist". If it's not human made, it's not art. This is not some wild eyed ideological stance I'm taking here. As I have pointed out previously in this thread, that's the definition that was held by almost all humans across all cultures and geographies for millenia. It has only come to be questioned by the "all truth is personal, nothing is really true" crowd.
Really? You make points, with no argument other than your own authority of what you see as truth.

Oh, and where did elephant excrement ever come up in the discussion? A personal preference of yours?
 

bjorke

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If it's not human made, it's not art.
The thing is, "elephant art" or "insect art" are human-made. Just as the random energy flux of the universe is occasionally bundled up onto a rectangle by a photographer, some human choice and setup was involved in the collection (and creation) of such "non-human" works. In this respect, AI art is no different than a paintbrush. It is just an object until someone chooses to make something with it, and to let another behold.

cassini-19july2013.jpeg


(Picture made by a man-made robot, 2013 -- chosen by humans as pretty cool)

It's the viewer who makes something "art."
 

Pieter12

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Of course, human intervention is necessary. First of all, a human has to view or experience it. Secondly, until someone discovers non-humans making art with their own tools or means, the tools and sometimes surfaces are mostly human-made and supplied. But birds such as crows and parrots as wells as primates often use tools and could very well be making art that we are not aware of.
 

faberryman

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Really? You make points, with no argument other than your own authority of what you see as truth.

The definition of art is not a truth; it is a classification. Like all definitions, it is a way of sorting ideas and objects so we can carry on a conversation about them. On Photrio, we can't carry on a conversation about whether a photograph or an AI image is art because many members think they are entitled to have a personal definition of art, and their definition is as valid as anyone else's definition. Frequently such definitions are just whatever pops into their head while they are sitting in their easy chair typing a post on Photrio. Maybe their personal definition of clam chowder is slices of Swiss cheese and turkey between two pieces of bread. They are unlikely to be happy with what the waiter brings them. Are those people the ones with whom you really want to have a conversation about clam chowder?
 
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Pieter12

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The definition of art is not a truth; it is a classification. Like all definitions, it is a way of sorting ideas and objects so we can carry on a conversation about them. On Photrio, we can't carry on a conversation about whether a photograph or an AI image is art because many members think they are entitled to have a personal definition of art, and their definition is as valid as anyone else's definition. Frequently such definitions are just whatever pops into their head while they are sitting in their easy chair typing a post on Photrio. Maybe their personal definition of clam chowder is slices of Swiss cheese and turkey between two pieces of bread. They are unlikely to be happy with what the waiter brings them. Are those people the ones with whom you really want to have a conversation about clam chowder?

I wasn't replying to you. And if I order art at a gallery and get clam chowder, I have nothing to complain about.
 

MurrayMinchin

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Neanderthal's were painting geometric patterns on cave walls long before Humans showed up.

Elephants have passed the 'mark test' for self awareness, where a paint splotch is put on their body which they cannot see, but will investigate the mark with their trunk when they see their reflection in a mirror.

If an animal can be self aware, it's probably a short step away from making marks of some kind with intension.
 
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Sirius Glass

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Art encompasses fun. Anything that stirs the soul (or mind and feelings) is art. Laughter, fun, love, hate, etc are all feelings that art stimulates.

So does drinking alcohol to a point, but that is not art.
 

Sirius Glass

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Neanderthal's were painting geometric patterns on cave walls long before Humans showed up.

Elephants have passed the 'mark test' for self awareness, where a paint splotch is put on their body which they cannot see, but will investigate the mark with their trunk when they see their reflection in a mirror.

If an animal can be self aware, it's probably a short step away from making marks of some kind with intension.

Neanderthals ARE HUMANS! Many Europeans have Neanderthal DNA.

With that this thread has run it course and it is past time to close it. It goes round and round circling the drain.
 
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MurrayMinchin

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cliveh

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Art is in the eye of the beholder.
 
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