The world of art is ever-changing, constantly developing new styles, mediums, and controversial opinions. This common form of expression has been used to convey emotions, push opinions, and communicate, along with countless other uses. Recent use of AI generation in the art world has sparked a debate: What defines art?

Contemporary art

Contemporary art, or artwork made from the 1970s to today, has been defined by movements such as minimalism, abstract expressionism, cubism, and performance art. Most of these movements trace back to the start of the 20th century, but expanded in popularity at the start of the 1970s. These art movements are often heavily criticized. Some claim that minimalist or abstract artwork isn’t unique, or that “anyone could do that.” Another common critique is that contemporary artwork focuses more on the artist’s personal experiences than the piece itself.

Eddy Frankel, an art critic on Art Review, said “Over the last decade there has been a tangible shift – on the part of museums, galleries and curators, but also critics and even general audiences – away from prioritising the idea behind an artwork and towards focusing on the political, experiential and emotional context behind an artwork.” Pieces like Comedian by Maurizio Cattelan caused global controversy over a high selling price. The artwork, a banana duct-taped to a wall, sold at auction for 6.24 million dollars. Cattlelan claims that the piece was meant to be a parody of the modern art market and consumerism, stating, “If you think my work is provocative, it means that reality is extremely provocative, and we just don’t react to it.”

 Las Vegas Academy of the Arts photography teacher, Dawn Anderson, said, “A banana taped to the wall doesn’t seem like art, but it’s someone’s conceptual idea of art, and it could possibly uphold to the price of a Van Gogh.”

Embracing AI Art

Controversially, image generation by artificial intelligence has made its way into the art world. In the past year, the use of AI image generation in commercial settings has dramatically increased. Companies like Starbucks, Coca-Cola, BMW, and Nutella have incorporated artificial intelligence into their advertising and branding. However, this movement has been met with a large amount of backlash. In response to the criticism, a Coca-Cola spokesperson said, “This year, we crafted films through a collaboration of human storytellers and the power of generative AI. Coca-Cola will always remain dedicated to creating the highest level of work at the intersection of human creativity and technology.” Many artists and non-artists alike responded to this AI advertisement by boycotting the company. Common critiques of the advertisement include that it was uncanny, cheap, and inhuman in a way that defies Coca-Cola’s brand. 

The American Alliance of Museums claims to plan on integrating AI into museum processes, but has yet to make a direct statement on including artificial intelligence in artworks themselves. They claim that artificial intelligence has uses in automating tedious tasks, but has concerns about data security and job displacement. Museums as globally known as The Metropolitan Museum of Art have been incorporating AI into their processes. The Metropolitan hosted a two-day hackathon with a focus on utilizing artificial intelligence for human connection. On top of their events, the Metropolitan has started using an AI tool called “Art Explorer” that can show visitors how artworks may have looked when first created, the art movements at the time the piece was created, or details about what inspired specific pieces. 

AI Art: Defenses and Critiques

Some artists claim that artificially created artworks are soulless and uninspiring. Senior Film major Jacob Weiss said, “AI image generation offers nothing beyond initial sweetness. It doesn’t challenge anything. I have never looked at an AI video or image that has offered further conversation or offered an inspiration or a question.”

Yearbook Editor in Chief Kate Johnson said, “Every single time a human creates an art piece, they’re thinking of intentionally adding every single stroke, every single line, what this can mean to them, what this color means, what that means, or even if it’s just like something stupid, it still has like human intent behind it. But AI just steals from other people’s artworks to create an algorithm to then create an art piece.”

Others claim that if artwork is made by people, but assisted with artificial intelligence, the piece is still considered artwork. “If generated through AI and then manipulated back through an artist, there is a possibility for it to be considered art,” Anderson said.

Maximo Griego has developed his style of photography to include the use of AI-generated backgrounds and props. His process starts like any other, with conceptualizing an idea. He then takes it to the studio for a photoshoot. He uses AI-generated visuals to create backgrounds and props that he could not find online otherwise. States, Griego  “ AI is just like a starting place. It’s a way to get assets, just as if I were to collage with anything else. Using archival imagery to create a collage.” He also reflects on the feedback he’s received from others and the frustration he experiences when people mistakenly assume that his artwork is entirely AI-generated.

Connection to Capitalism

The modern art world is heavily influenced by capitalism. Most artists’ work is affected by a need to appeal to corporations in order to earn a paycheck.

Las Vegas Academy English teacher Francine Curcio said, “I think artists are really exploited, and because corporations are trying to catch humanity in a bottle and make it artificial so they can own that labor they can never really replicate. I feel that the whole AI system also takes advantage of artists.”

Others believe that the innovation created by a need to “stand out” outweighs the need to appeal to larger audiences.

Weiss said, “I think the silver lining is that capitalism does spark a lot of really great insight and conversation. It is what differentiates art from business. Art is progressive; the goal is to raise a question, start a conversation, or spark an opinion. It’s the progression of human thought and nuance in society. Whereas business is just how can we funnel this, make something that makes money to make more money. There is no end, and when art is influenced by business decisions, it just diminishes thoughtfulness and nuance in conversation and real life.”

Although influenced by trends, popularity, and capitalism as a whole, the judgment and value of a work of art can only ever be curated by the artist and the buyer. 

Conclusion

All in all, art is subjective. Value is given by both the artist and the viewer, never constant and ever-changing.