Pragmatic Art – Inrelation for who or what is it for?

“Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

– Oscar Wilde, 1890, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Reflecting on Wilde’s criticism of Victorian society’s hyperfocus on materialism and superficiality versus the intrinsic values of idealism.

I. THE BRIEF HISTORY

Art has long been a medium for expressing ideals. These ideals can be conveyed through profound scenarios or expressions that require skilled craftsmanship.

Historically, artists often debated how art should be created, with opposing viewpoints being more easily distinguishable. Today, however, both the motivations behind art and the perspectives it represents are equally complex.

The process of creating art now focuses on outcomes, which are intrinsically linked to the collective efforts of those involved in its production.

The role and perception of artists have evolved significantly over time. Initially serving religious purposes, art gradually moved through guild systems, with talented individuals gaining recognition through patronage from the wealthy. The emergence of art markets further incentivized artistic growth, eventually elevating artists to a unique social status that transcended class boundaries.

This evolution led to debates about the purpose of art: Should it focus on moral or societal values, or purely on aesthetics? Various movements addressed these questions differently. Impressionists bridged social commentary with aesthetic value, while expressionists championed ‘art for art’s sake.’ Pop art and cultural art explored consumer culture, and new forms of entertainment began to overshadow traditional aesthetic concerns.

As the world changed, neoliberal policies and the ‘happiness industry’ reshaped people’s internal experiences and beliefs about art and artists. The 1980s saw postmodernism challenging established narratives and methods.

This shift aligned with growing skepticism about the authenticity and originality of artistic production. The era of individual expression that began after World War II started to wane.

Today, we increasingly question reality, values, and tendencies through collective efforts. Contemporary art grapples with multiple pressures: market demands, artistic integrity, digital production and reception, and the illusory freedom of exploration.

II. THE EMERGENCE OF GENERATIVE ART AND ITS ALTERNATIVES

Fast forward to today, we have subscription-based artist status through generative models; values and the craftsmanship that made it possible are at risk of being democratized. This section aims to detail the controversies that have been linked to existing problems.

Generative art, created through autonomous algorithms, is challenging long-held notions of creativity and ownership. Its reception varies globally, with tech hubs embracing it enthusiastically while traditional art circles approach it with caution. This dichotomy echoes ongoing debates about art’s purpose: should it prioritize pragmatic value or explore new frontiers of expression?

Ethical concerns surrounding generative art range from copyright issues to the perpetuation of biases in AI models. These debates mirror historical discussions about authenticity and value in art, themes that have persisted since the rise of mechanical reproduction. The current state of training datasets, often comprising untraceable or potentially unauthorized works, raises questions about the ethical foundations of this new artistic medium.

From a neoliberal perspective, generative art offers exciting possibilities. It democratizes creativity, allowing those without the progressive value of traditional training to express themselves artistically. In the commercial realm, it enables rapid iterations and on-demand personalized content at scale.

The impact on the creative workforce is significant. While there are fears of job displacement, new roles are emerging, such as AI art curators and prompt engineers, though these are deemed less honorable. This shift parallels historical changes in artistic production, from guild systems to individual studios to collaborative digital workspaces.

Despite the focus on data-driven generative methods that lead to ethical issues, let us briefly list alternative approaches that are more process-oriented and potentially more ethical:

1. Procedural Generation: Uses rule-based algorithms, popular in game design.

2. Evolutionary Algorithms: Mimics natural selection to evolve artistic outputs.

3. Agent-Based Models: Simulates interactions to create emergent patterns.

4. Artificial Life Approaches: Generates art by simulating life-like processes.

5. GANs with Minimal Data: Uses small datasets to capture underlying patterns.

6. Neuroevolution: Evolves neural network architectures for artistic creation.

7. Rule-Based Systems: Employs formal grammars, used in music and architecture.

8. Physics-Based Simulation: Generates art by simulating physical processes.

These models offer advantages in novelty, transparency, and reduced data dependency. However, they face challenges in complexity, unpredictability, and evaluation, which often make them less appealing for practical applications.

III. THE VALUE AND THE TRUTH

In the spirit of the values of this and the complexity of that, contemporary art now navigates the harsh pressures of our collectivist society. The artist, once a singular voice, is now lost in where to look and who to stand with, reflecting how the mirror itself is at fault. The potential erosion of status in artistic expression attempts to serve as both a mirror to our divisions and a window to unexplored territories.

Perhaps this is a chance to uncover fresh perspectives on truth and identity. If art imitates life, regardless of its given state, we can intrinsically experience the natural narrative going on. Zeitgeist allows us to explore viewpoints beyond our immediate experience, potentially bridging the very gaps they illuminate.

We must consider: does the ability to have an artistic lens reveal our collective truth or simply construct a new façade? Maybe we don’t need to separate if done correctly, so we may focus on the value of the act itself in different channels.

While grappling with this question, maybe we will discover ways to transcend societal partitions, envisioning a future where art serves as a unifying force in our increasingly complex world.