"The Evolving Landscape of AI in Art: A Journey with Evergon"

Background of Evergon (Albert Jay Lunt): Overview of career highlights and artistic journey.

Emphasis on the attraction to new and experimental technologies in art. Evergon is

Section 1: Exploring New Frontiers

• Early Experiments with Technology in Art Discussion of alternative processes and mediums: ortholith film, Xerox, holograms, Polaroid.
• Transition to embracing Artificial Intelligence in art.

Section 2: The AI Era in Art

• AI Image-making vs. AI Text-makingComparing the maturity and capabilities of AI in different artistic domains.
• Personal experiences and challenges faced in the AI image-making field.

Section 3: Censorship and AI

• Built-in Censorship in AI TechnologyExploration of AI's censorship algorithms, focusing on male nudity and its portrayal.
• Discussion of the patriarchal biases evident in AI, comparing the treatment of male and female forms.
• Personal viewpoint on the impact of censorship in AI on artistic freedom and expression.

Section 4: AI and the ‘Freak’ Aesthetic

• Dismemberment, Disfigurement, Distortion in AI ArtAnalyzing the presence of DlS (dismemberment, disfigurement, distortion) in AI-generated images.
• Understanding the 'freak' aesthetic: extreme stylized concepts of beauty and the portrayal of physical anomalies.
• Reflection on how this aesthetic has influenced the perception of images in news, text, and other media.

Section 5: AI, Perception, and Artistic Responsibility

• AI's Impact on Perception and Artistic InterpretationDiscussing how AI has altered personal and societal perceptions of imagery.
• The concept of 'Memorycurse' and 'Evil Doppleganger' in the context of AI's influence.
• The artist's role in knowing when to stop and present their work.

Conclusion and Live Demonstration

• Final Thoughts and Live AI Demo with PlaygroundConcluding remarks on the journey and learnings in the world of AI art.
• A live demonstration of image creation using the AI image generator Playground, illustrating the discussed concepts and techniques.

End Note: The talk aims to provide insights into the evolving relationship between art and technology, emphasizing the role of AI in shaping modern artistic expression and the challenges artists face in navigating this new landscape.

Artist Statement:

Throughout my career, I have always gravitated towards the newest and most experimental technologies- alternative processes revisited with ortholith film, Xerox, holograms, Polaroid, etc. Artificial Intelligence (AI) was a very natural fit for me. I have entered this ‘fray’ at a time when AI Image-making is not yet perfected, unlike the AI text-making, but I have entered too late for uncensored male genitalia. In its beginnings, AI was a Wild West show.

To save the world from generating pederast images and perhaps gay images, AI now has a built-in censorship of anything it deems offensive; unlike the female body which is portrayed flagrantly wide-open and over-enhanced. Patriarchally rules! Sometimes male genitals are turned into other appendages or serpent-like accessories, Sometimes, genitals are covered by swimsuits, jockstrap, hose, or entirely unrelated objects and sometimes male genitalia are transformed into female. This is censorship in the making. I do resent this.

At all times, AI contains the presence of DlS: dismemberment, disfigurement, distortion. This ‘freak’ aesthetic: extreme stylised concepts of beauty or extreme foppishness. i.e. dwarfism, amputee-ism, supernumerary body part etc. I think of repetition body parts as a visual refrain, much the same as in song and poetry. By embracing this foppish aesthetic, I am now seeing it in ‘reality’ images in the news, written text, pornography, etc. AI has caused a warp to my perception or maybe a reveal-ation.

A Memorycurse! An Evil Doppleganger! I believe in the perverse! Like Xerox and Polaroid imaging, Think it! Have it! Knowing when to stop and present is the job of the artist. This presentation will end with a live AI demo where I will work through an image using the AI image generator Playground.

Artist Bio:

Artist, teacher and activist, Evergon (AKA Celluloso Evergonni, Eve R. Gonzales, Egon Brut and Big Hellion) is a real cultural icon. Throughout a prestigious career of more than fifty years, he has always been recognized to be at the avant-garde of experimentation in the field of photography and lens-based mediums. Important precursor of homo-erotic contemporary art and iconic figure for the homosexual communities, his works have been at the heart of numerous important exhibitions worldwide. His works are included in private and institutional collections among which are the Musée national des beaux arts du Québec and the National Gallery of Canada. Evergon: Théâtres de l'intime, a major retrospective of his works was recently presented at the Musée national des beaux arts du Québec. In 2023, Evergon received the Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts and the Prix Paul-Émile-Borduas.