The ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence (AI) image colourisation were recently brought to public attention when several historical images were altered using digital algorithms. Irish artist Matt Loughrey digitally colourised and added smiles to photos of tortured prisoners from Security Prison 21 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which was used by the Khmer Rouge from 1975–1979.… Continue reading The controversial history of colourising black-and-white photos
One of the great paradoxes of human endeavour is why so much time and effort is spent on creating things and indulging in behaviour with no obvious survival value — behaviour otherwise known as art. Attempting to shed light on this issue is problematic because first we must define precisely what art is. We can… Continue reading What’s the point of art?
In September 2024, Wellcome Collection will present Hard Graft, an exhibition exploring experiences of physical work and its impacts on health and the body. Making connections between undervalued labour, the people who do it and the spaces where it happens, this exhibition brings into focus the people whose health, work and rights remain hidden on… Continue reading Hard Graft — work, health and rights
Inspiration comes from the most unexpected places. In the case of Rachel Deacon, her artistic career was sent in a completely different direction by…a home extension. When the construction was complete and the builders had left, Rachel was left with a huge blank wall. It was crying out for a big canvas, a statement abstract… Continue reading Figurative and abstract artist – Rachel Deacon
Born in Florence in 1386, Donatello was, and remains, celebrated as one of the most skilled sculptors of the Renaissance. Studying under the likes of Ghiberti and Brunelleschi, he developed a style influenced heavily by the classical language of architecture but not restricted to this. He used materials ranging from wood to bronze and produced… Continue reading What makes Donatello’s sculptures so compelling?
People tend to rejoice in the disclosure of a secret. Or, at the very least, media outlets have come to realize that news of “mysteries solved” and “hidden treasures revealed” generate traffic and clicks. So I’m never surprised when I see AI-assisted revelations about famous masters’ works of art go viral. Over the past year… Continue reading How AI is hijacking art history
Caroline Westerhout, born in Weert in 1970, asks “Why are we all pretending to be normal when we could be insanely interesting instead?” in her Instagram biography — an entirely appropriate reference to the spirit that courses throughout her art. Westerhout’s artistic practice primarily features unique, non-traditional portraits rooted in classical techniques. The Dutch artist… Continue reading Why be normal? Inside the asymmetric world of Caroline Westerhout
The colour orange has a complex, sometimes even confusing, history that can often be overlooked. Its presence in humanity’s artistic record is believed to have first appeared in the ruins of Ancient Egyptian tombs — impressive structures that are globally recognised today for their detailed decoration and preservation of the richest individuals in Ancient Egyptian… Continue reading The history of orange
If you have ever uttered phrases such as “I lack creativity” or “I just can’t draw”, it is time to uncover a truth: creativity is not an innate talent bestowed upon a select few. It is subjective. Fewer than half of people on average (39% in 2012 and 41% in 2016) would describe themselves as… Continue reading Producing art as a non-creative — eight easy approaches for you to try
The colour red has had a wide variety of meanings and purposes throughout human history. The earliest use of red in the archaeological record comes from cave paintings drawn over thirty thousand years ago. Early humans used a naturally occurring pigment made of a mix of iron oxide and clay, now known as red ochre,… Continue reading The history of red
