Anastasiia Monastyreva & Anna Beers

Overall Title: The Synthetic Organic
Created by: Anastasiia Monastyreva, Anna Beers
6 AI photograms: 8"x 8", (2023)
Materials: Digital negatives on Pictorico transparency film, Gelatin Silver Prints

Inspired by: Photogram
Artist: Nicole White
Materials: Butterfly wing, Gelatin Silver Print, 16"x 20" (2023)

Our Artist statement: 
Our work begins as a response to Nicole White’s beautiful analog photogram of an enlarged butterfly wing. Her work not only showcases the power of photograms as a medium but also invites contemplation on themes of natural form and mortality. Photograms, a medium rooted in early photographic technique, capture the immediate imprint of physical objects on photosensitive paper. These ethereal impressions are created without the use of a camera, relying solely on the interplay of light, objects, and time. The butterfly wing was once attached to a living organism full of transformation, and is now decomposing and lifeless, immortalized and retransformed in the form of a photogram. Process is a huge part of what makes Nicole’s art piece so impactful.

In contrast, our AI reproductions are the product of the digital age, where we used DALL-E 2's program as an attempt to mimic the nuances and complexities of nature. We thought it would be interesting to challenge the AI to produce things it has no way of exactly emulating– light, nature, and the analog photographic process. We generated a total of 300 different interpretations of what a butterfly wing photogram would look like according to AI. We then curated a selection of 6 images and contact-printed them onto photosensitive paper in the darkroom, mirroring Nicole's original technique, as if they were the butterfly wing itself. 

With this juxtaposition, we hope to provide a direct comparison of our natural world depicted in a traditional art form and a technological interpretation of both nature and art. We are challenging AI to produce something it cannot, and we are challenging our perception of photograms as “truth”. Our intent is to spark an open-ended discourse surrounding the boundaries separating the organic from the artificial and, most importantly, to question whether AI can serve as a tool for the creation of impactful art.

AI written Artist statement:

Prompt: 
"Write an artist statement about a project comparing a photogram of a real dead butterfly wing, and AI reproductions of a butterfly wing photogram."

Title: Butterfly's Last Echo
Butterfly's Last Echo is an artistic endeavor that delves into the profound duality of life, death, and the transformative power of technology. At the core of this artistic inquiry lies the juxtaposition of a meticulously crafted photogram, which encapsulates the essence of an authentic and deceased butterfly wing, and the pioneering utilization of artificial intelligence to reimagine the intricate allure of this wing. The photogram showcases the minute intricacies of the wing's final moments with an almost spectral precision, thereby invoking contemplation upon the ephemeral nature of existence. 

On the other hand, the AI rendering represents a modern take on art and technology, reflecting the ever-evolving relationship between human creativity and machine intelligence. Using cutting-edge algorithms, I feed the AI with data about butterfly wings and let it reinterpret the patterns and colors. The AI's interpretation is a fusion of the real and the imagined, a product of mathematical calculations and human guidance. It challenges our perception of authenticity in art and raises questions about the role of technology in the creative process.

This project is an invitation to traverse the delicate bridge between mortality and artificial resonance. Through Butterfly's Last Echo, I challenge the prevailing notion that technology estranges us from the natural world. Instead, I emphasize the intricate relationship between the two, illustrating how AI can deepen our appreciation of the inherent beauty surrounding us, as an extension of the timeless patterns and principles woven into the very fabric of the universe.