Chapter 1: Discovering AI-Driven Art

Recently, a friend of mine took a trip to an art museum in Basel, Switzerland, where he encountered an intriguing piece by American conceptual artist John Baldessari.

This particular artwork, created in 1968, presents a scenario through words rather than images, inviting the audience to conjure their own visual interpretations. The canvas is essentially blank, yet features the following description:

"SEMI-CLOSE-UP OF GIRL BY GERANIUM (SOFT VIEW) FINISHES WATERING IT — EXAMINES PLANT TO SEE IF IT HAS ANY SIGNS OF GROWTH, FINDS SLIGHT EVIDENCE — SMILES — ONE PART IS SAGGING — SHE RUNS FINGERS ALONG IT — RAISES HAND OVER PLANT TO ENCOURAGE IT TO GROW."

Inspired by the text, my friend suggested that I create an artwork using AI, specifically Midjourney, given my current fascination with the technology. I transcribed the text from the painting, refined it, and submitted it as a prompt in the Midjourney Discord.

Midjourney produced four distinct interpretations of the scene:

While the results were impressive, we struggled to select a favorite, prompting us to create additional variations of the first and second images.

Ultimately, we settled on the version we preferred (bottom left), so I requested an upscale from Midjourney, which yielded this final result.

My friend was thrilled with the outcome, and we gained insight into the concepts that may have influenced John Baldessari’s minimalist approach.

Chapter 2: Exploring Alternate AI Models

As a fun addition, I decided to use the same prompt with OpenAI's Dall-E. Although the results were less impressive compared to Midjourney, they leaned toward a more realistic depiction, which did not quite suit the gallery aesthetic.

Each AI model has its unique strengths and limitations, and for artistic creation, Midjourney stands out as the superior choice. Interestingly, both models chose to depict the girl as very young, rather than as a teenager or adult, highlighting their interpretive tendencies.

In conclusion, this exploration reveals the exciting potential of AI in art, showcasing how technology can bridge the gap between imagination and visual representation.