Have you ever wondered what makes us so unique, or maybe why we sometimes feel like we don’t exist, like an anonymous person? Comparing our own experience to those of others, you may be surprised to find that sometimes it is the very thing that makes us unique that helps us be able to empathise with others. To experience empathy for someone else, and have the ability to feel or share another person’s emotions and feelings, a process of understanding human behaviour by means of introspection. Maybe ponder the sonder and consider that each random passer-by is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.

With all this in mind, I have been researching the use of artificial intelligence as a tool to develop new ideas for my artworks. Specifically, I have been using a free online service that was developed and coded by Karras et al. and Nvidia. An artificial intelligence algorithm known as a generative adversarial network (GAN) renders hyper-realistic portraits of completely faked images of people each time the page is refreshed. With the aim of emphasising the power of A.I.’s ever-increasing power to present as real images that are completely artificial.

Basically, the online resource allows you to explore and create realistic randomly generated imagery of people that do not exist. Creating this piece was my first effort to incorporate technology alongside traditional art practices. Despite the computer generated outputs being quite creepy, the concept and use of the tool are fascinating to me.

By using the classic quartering technique, much like in seamless surface pattern design, this 4-in-1 painting is secured with high strength Velcro, allowing each quarter to be repositioned easily whenever you want.

I am delighted with the way this box frame turned out for this painting. The hard wood frame has been finished with Danish oil, which enhances the natural beauty of the wood while offering a water-resistant finish. In order to avoid shadows inside the frame, I applied a matte black finish, which also provides contrast around the painting. My custom frames are handmade, and come complete with a simple wall mounting kit.

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This Person Does Not Exist

The inspiration for this painting came from the ‘news controversies’ we are all subjected to locally or globally.

Keeping this thought in mind, as well as the notion of a ‘legal burden of proof,’ the three bullet holes represent a ‘Smoking Gun’. This term is commonly referred to as the strongest kind of circumstantial evidence, as opposed to direct evidence. As I was reacquainting myself with an airbrush, I thought of using camouflage to represent things and people that are hiding in plain sight.

Airbrush detailing and a satin finish accented by a raised resin & mica finish highlight the fluidity of the artwork, and showcase the natural grain in the bare wood.

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Smoking Gun

This painting is based on the idea how love and life grow when people share. Simply put, we all strive for completeness in one way or another. Whether we like it or not, we yearn for that sense of contentment and wholeness in our lives. This might be the need to find a partner, find a new hobby, find acceptance, find stability, find peace in oneself, find success, or simply to heal from a terrible memory or experience.

Know the multiplicity of your thoughts and feelings and develop a new way of thinking. Enlighten your mind and awaken your senses and see how the world, and everything in it, affects you.

In an effort to create a wall hanging that stands out and is distinctive; or perhaps to also exhibit the quality of being fully complete, this acrylic painting explores many surface pattern designs and a range of eclectic artistic techniques.

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Adrian Reynolds