Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Alice in Larvaeland


No, it's not AI art—not digital either. I painted it for fun in acrylic during lunch break while I was a 22-year-old working as a background painter on the animated movie "Fire and Ice."

I suppose I was tapping into some weird corners of my subconscious mind, trying to figure out how to adapt H.R. Giger's biomorphism to landscape painting, and tossing some story possibilities out there for Ralph Bakshi's team to play with.

11 comments:

Lynnwood said...

I love that,James! And there is no whiff of AI.The problem for me with all AI images is that every part of the image seems equally emphasized.No selection,no synthesis of real experience inner or outer,no " construction" towards an expression.All self-consciousness with no self-awareness.Which is interesting as there is no "self".:)

forrie said...

This is an interesting point. How do you feel as an artist that someone might accuse you of using AI Art? For example, I paint very surrealist works -- with the content I see coming from AI, there are similarities and I am concerned about this. But moreso, how to continue to have my work be relevant, when an AI engine can spit these things out so easily?

Alex Dsouza said...

Awesome it's really hard to believe that AI has change the whole world and even in the creative field people need to explain nowadays that art is not from AI
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Terry said...

Ellen Ripley always wondered what that nightmare she had when she was fifteen was all about...

Kessie said...

But what do these larvae turn into once they pupate? That is the question ...

James Bamford said...

Incredible how your work is so versatile and you've used it for so many applications over the years, but even your earlier work has a certain Gurney style to it. I also have been noticing every time N.C. Wyeth's principle about values (...light against light...) that you mentioned in a recent video is implemented.

Dave Lebow said...

I love this “”Alice” painting!

Lynnwood said...

Shoot,I guess I would just hand them my piece of paper with my drawing or painting on it and say"See for yourself!"But my art is mostly ghost as far as the Internet is concerned .If your trying to.have a career you probably have to wind up dealing with it.I had a friend who was a wonderful photographer ,great powers of observation and composition.All she had was a cheap digital camera with part of the screen missing and a crack across the rest,and all she did was point and shoot.When she printed off these beautiful pictures,her classmates would just tell her,"Aww,you photoshopped it!"This was dis-heartening for her.The people who would accuse you of that would have no clue what i was talking about earlier.AI can spit out "images" for "consumption".That is a very cursory way of viewing art. The Internet can literally open the world to you and has gems.What would we do without gurneyjourney!?!But the temptation to fall into that device and let it become a substitute for real experience is palpably real.Sorry,I know I'm getting off the subject.As an internet-antidote,this from Artist,Hanna Hinchman from a TrailThroughLeaves..."Children know all about the mystery of drawing.Drawing( in fact,all the arts) should be taught right along with language,emphasizing equally it's mystery and utility.Art is considered expendable,even suspect,these days;yet our media-atmosphere is more and more saturated with images.It would be wise,since the visual is used ti manipulate us,for us to learn early on how to manipulate the visual .A nation full of competent little artists might be more intoxicated by,but less susceptible to the power of the image".

Lynnwood said...

Lol maybe that answers Jessie's question!

Lynnwood said...

Lol maybe that answers Jessie's question!

James Gurney said...

Kessie, maybe they turn into beautiful butterfly taxis.