Alex Valentine San Miguel & Lisa Bellew

Title: Echoes of the Dreaming Self: Navigating the Depths of the Psyché

Artists: Alex Valentine San Miguel and Lisa Bellew

Medium: Installation mixed media using wood, masonite board, bed sheets, Polyfill, Ceramic hollow cylinders, video projection, personal objects, glass, stones, beads, infinity mirror (shadow box, mirror, fairy lights)

Statement:
Development of AI technology has transformed the way we think and view certain data and raised controversy. In art, AI can reimagine existing pieces to form description based compositions thereby enhancing, augmenting, and improving artwork. AI offers a new form of expression expanding the limits of art through human and machine collaboration. However, AI raises questions about authenticity and originality of the artist's creative process and value.

The Installation challenges AI generated artworks with the use of 3D compositions in an immersive space. Our installation emotionally connects the viewer and questions the capability of AI forming such emotions or meanings, without the human experience.

Our dreamscape takes viewers on a disconcerting journey between the subconscious mind and external reality; transcending conventional artistic boundaries. It unravels the depths of the human psyche considering

dreams as windows into the self and its surroundings. The divisive theories of Sigmund Freud, the archetypal symbolism of Carl Jung, Gestalt Therapy, and the disorienting realms of lucid dreaming are woven together in this dream analysis experience.  

This psychological terrain plays on inner enlightenment and external turmoil; beckoning viewers to contemplate
the profound connections between our innermost thoughts, emotions, and the outside world.

AI Prompt:
Can you rewrite this artist statement from a dark and macabre perspective on dreams in 200 words? 

AI Generated Title:
Whispers of the Damned Self: Unearthing the Sinister Abyss of the Human Psyche

AI Generated Artist Statement:
In the haunting recesses of the subconscious, my art arises like a specter from the depths of torment. Dreams, those cruel jesters of the night, are my twisted muses. Each night, as I surrender to the merciless embrace of slumber, I delve into the abyss of the human psyche, extracting its darkest, most desolate corners to birth my sinister creations.

In this grim carnival of the mind, my brush dances upon the canvas of nightmares, painting phantoms and grotesque horrors that lurk in the shadows of our nocturnal visions. The macabre reverie of dreams becomes the ink that stains my soul, driving me to evoke an eerie beauty in the midst of despair.

As I venture into the liminal spaces of these somber reveries, I summon forth the grotesque and eerie, seeking to unveil the concealed terrors and forbidden fantasies that fester beneath the surface of consciousness. My art becomes a whisper from the abyss, inviting viewers to confront the malevolent
unknown lurking within their own dreamscape. In this realm of desolation and grim enchantment, I craft a morbid tapestry of the human condition. In the sepulchral silence of my art, I invite you to wander the twisted corridors of your own dreams, for in the darkness, we find the most haunting truths.

 AI Prompt:
Can you rewrite this artist statement in a fantastical, whimsical, enlightening perspective in 200 words?

AI Title:
Celestial Reverie: A Whimsical Journey into the Enchanted Self
In a realm where technology and art entwine, the wonderment of AI dances with the imagination's grandest dreams. A fantastical journey unfolds, where pixels and algorithms intertwine with the ethereal brushstrokes of human creativity. The dawn of AI technology has cast a spell, forging new paths in the art world. It takes the canvas of yore, infusing it with description-based compositions that enchant, enhance, and elevate the very essence of artistic expression.

Within this magical collaboration of machine and human, questions arise, like enigmatic riddles whispered by ancient sages. Is the soul of art dimmed when crafted by silicon minds? Does authenticity still linger, or does it dissipate like morning mist before the sun?

Step inside our enchanting installation, where 3D realms and emotions converge in a symphony of the senses. Here, we beckon the curious, posing the ultimate question: Can AI kindle the fires of sentiment and meaning as a human heart can?

This dreamscape is your portal, where you traverse the veil between inner reverie and external reality. It transcends the boundaries of tradition, revealing the labyrinthine pathways of the mind, the cryptic symbols of the psyche, and the sublime landscapes of lucid dreams, all intertwined in a tapestry of wonder.

As you wander this whimsical terrain, ponder the connections between your innermost thought and the world beyond. In the embrace of this fantastical world, enlightenment mingles with turmoil, inviting you to explore the profound union of self, emotion, and the universe itself.

Title: ‘Myths Forgotten by Day’

Created By: Alex-Valentine San Miguel

Statement:
The series of sculptures explores the depths of the mind in connection with dream analysis, specifically the psychological effects that an individual may experience. It represents a range of perspectives, and challenges the mind’s ability to formulate vivid images and thoughts from the sequences recurring in their dreams.
The series explores four key concepts causing the viewer to consider dreams through various lenses. Through each piece, one should contemplate: the idea of dreams as “the royal road” to the unconscious containing remembered and repressed information, the notion that dreams can unlock hidden meanings and attempt to express and create, the assumption that humanity
shares a collective unconscious, the utility of Lucid Dreaming, and the interpretation of dreams as existential messages we send ourselves. These methods invite the viewer to participate in personal dream interpretation.
The depth of the sculptures engage unconscious thoughts, desires, fears, and personality traits based on an individual’s experience. This is emphasized through the use of symbolic imagery encouraging the audience to form deeper thoughts and create an emotional connection. The sculptures cause individuals to question their realities and dive deeper into consciousness and self awareness. This grotesque and eerie embodiment of dreams intends to evoke a feeling of
cringe yet serene beauty in the darkness.