Trademark Style Transfer and Image Synthesis

It's a funny time for art, but perhaps not for artists. On one hand, we have AI programs that can appropriate the style of any artist onto any other image. This has led to hugely popular apps where people can apply styles to themselves from Picasso, Van Gogh and other famous artists. On the other hand, in 2016 the artist Anish Kapoor acquired exclusive rights to “Vantablack” pigment, purportedly the ‘blackest black’ the world has ever seen. Isn’t it curious that the lifework of great artists can be freely appropriated by the entire world while at the same time one artist can prevent all other artists from using a color pigment?

To contemplate this, I designed a deep network style transfer which cross applies the vantablack to self-portraits of artists and vice versa. The self portrait is essential here - for we can see what these two contradictory processes are doing not only to an artist’s style, but to the artist her and himself as well. I hope the results cause viewers to consider the irony and ethical considerations of both phenomena as they operate upon each other simultaneously. I also found interesting results for synthesizing two images (e.g. landscapes) into one. No major purpose at the moment for it, but intriguing.

'Trademark' style transfer source images

'Trademark' style transfer

Landscape synthesis source images

Landscape synthesis results

Straight=>Curve

Straight=>Curve is a visual companion for live musical performance. It was developed to go alongside computer music performances, but can conceivably be used in combination with any audio input or performance, including acoustic instruments. As a visual performance component, it is intended almost purely (if this possible) as aesthetics, and is not intended as a standalone piece. As the name Straight=>Curve suggests, the ‘point’ is about curvature, and bringing what is straight (lines, shapes, one’s thinking, direction in life, etc.) into a curve that is recognizable as interesting, or beautiful, on its own and in its form with its surroundings.