Exhibition: Visiting Artist JJ Harty

About the event

Exhibition on view in the Fine Arts Center’s Gallery II from August 24th – October 9th

Artist talk and opening reception Thursday, September 3rd at 4:30 PM in the Fine Arts Center Auditorium

Artist Statement

We exist in a moment of over-stimulation and information saturation, a moment where a short descriptive paragraph can create a beautiful, sparkling image for us, but then be quickly forgotten and dissolved back into the ether of the internet. I feel a certain exhilaration at the potential of AI, but fear for what we can lose in the process. Is the work of AI original? It produces images by searching the internet and collecting bits of digital data gleaned from photos, videos and other digital information including the work of millions of artists.These bits of data are reassembled into images or video, which can be visually interesting, but also a bit disconcerting. This work is a playful way to make commentary on the serious questions about AI art. Using very simple pre-programmed vacuuming/mopping robots with some minimal modifications I wrangle the robots to produce something visually interesting. The catch is, just like AI, these robots cannot do it on their own. They need input and a lot of help from a person to make the art.