Summary of LO2 –
Need a quick summary? Please access the Summary Documents:
Summary LO1 Summary LO2 Summary LO3
Please find below a summary of LO2. The full LO2 document can be found here.
Reflective Practice
Throughout the MA Fine Art Digital course, I have documented my reflective and evaluative practice in a ‘Deep Reflection’ blogpost. This blogpost captures my process, progress, and the essence of my work.
Background
Over the past two years, I experimented with various physical, digital, and AI processes. This started with drawing experiments using a ‘Berol’ fine liner pen, evolving into intricate ‘Zentangle’ designs. These hand-drawn images were digitally refined and unexpectedly became integral to my final project.
Zentangle Gallery
21 Day Challenge
A Zoom session introduced a 21-day challenge, leading me to explore augmented reality (AR). I learned about AR’s potential to hide multimedia content within physical spaces. Augmented reality (AR) then became incorporated into my project work and was a very useful addition to my self-published books.
Turning Point
My Research revealed a general dislike for AI-generated art due to its perceived lack of soul and many ethical concerns surrounding it. Consequently, I decided to avoid using AI for generating art, except when it accelerates processes I can perform manually.
Mobile Development
Inspired by Alexander Calder’s mobiles, I integrated AR and explored creating a mobile using my Zentangle drawings. Prototypes were developed, revealing challenges in balancing and stringing the mobile.
Binary Code Concept
I incorporated binary code spelling ‘Unity in Bits’ into the mobile, symbolising the duality of fragmented society versus unity through ethical algorithms.
Further Experiments
Prototyping involved finding the right materials. This phase included failed attempts, like 3D printing a robot named Athena, which provided useful insights.
Augmented Reality Integration
AR was used to reveal hidden voices of artists within the mobile, reflecting on the obscured creators behind the physical art used in the industrialised art machine.
Exhibition and Final Project
My mobiles were exhibited, affirming my direction. The final project, ‘The Balance of Power – Unity in Bits’, symbolised the societal balance of power and included a companion book with AR features.
Conclusion
My journey emphasised the ethical implications of AI in art, the importance of physicality in digital art, and the exploration of augmented reality to enrich the viewer’s experience. The project culminated in three 5 minute films, including a film questioning whether to resolve against or evolve with AI technology. A full list of outcomes can be found in Executive Summary LO1. For the complete list of processes leading all of the ‘Unit 3 outcomes’, please see the full ‘Unit 3 – LO2 document’.
