I Want to See What You See.
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In this experiment, I trained a generative model on my photographic style through some of my portraits and am presenting generated humans together alongside photographed humans. I’m really just asking where the soul of a portrait lives. Is it purely in the photographed subject, or can some sort of soul also exist through the intention creating the image?
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Most visual creatives are playing with all kinds of emerging tech and very few people are being open about it publicly. Some old rebels are now the old guard with very definite pontifications about what is acceptable as an image and what isn’t, so I definitely feel the fear of coming out as ai positive. This pattern repeats itself. Painters to photographers, photographers to digital photographers, academics to impressionists. Even canvas took a few hundred years to be accepted as true by muralists.
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But while we are not open about our experiments with it, questioning it, or trying to find ways for it to integrate into creative practice in a way that creates value and opportunity, there are plenty of people using it in secret. Yet another human shadow built from shame and opacity.
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Whereas if we can play with it, experiment with it, make mistakes, ask difficult questions through it, and figure out where it fits and where it doesn’t, maybe it becomes an incredibly valuable tool. Maybe it creates creative economies and possibilities that we can’t fully imagine yet.
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Modern economies are built around where we place value. Most of the work we do as humans isn’t purely about survival anymore. Most industries exist because we collectively decide something matters. ai, like any technology, could become a tool that helps us decide where we want to place our values.
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This does not replace photography. They are two different mediums. But whether something is derivative or not does not depend on the medium. It depends on how the human being is working with it.
Visual summary of some work I’ve been doing with @creativefuturesacademy . CFA is a groundbreaking partnership between NCAD, UCD and IADT imagining creative futures.
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Creative Direction, Photography and Video @seanojackson
Graphic Design @unthink_ie
Voice John Lynch @contextstudiodublin
Paul Moore @future.screens.ni@barbararevelli Elia
Project Management Shauna Kelly, Pace Borza Butterly, Joanna Crawley.
Echo Chamber
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Playing with morph transitions to sound and testing how well the tech can hold the detail and consistency of the model and the clothing through numerous transformations. 100% DWEEB era.
Clothes: @irisvanherpen music: @_ryoji_ikeda_ model: @midjourney
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Imagery and movement @seanojackson@wayandform
Primitive is a prototype for an installation currently showing at @flux_dublin
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Inspired by the small church built in 1905 at the top of Croagh Patrick. That building has stood for over a century as a man made shelter and place of worship superimposed on top of the more permanent temple… the mountain itself.
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In these images I use generative AI in a primitive way, without technical mastery, to imagine new kinds of belief structures and ways of creating. Some images imagine strong light veins embedded in the mountain, others fragile temples of linen that would blow away in the first wind.
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The work is a question more than an answer: how do we relate to emerging intelligence? Do we come to it with curiosity and openness, or do we try to use it for control and domination? In that choice lies the shape of what we create.
Master Natural Light. One Day Workshop, Saturday 8 March. Photo Museum Ireland.
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Portraits:
Juula
Matthew
Pete
Georgia.
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Also experimental studio starts on Tuesday evening next and there are still a couple of places I believe.
Two spaces left on Experimental Studio Lighting at Photo Museum Ireland. For three weeks on Tuesday evenings. It’s for those who are curious about studio lighting but not technically minded. This practical workshop is how to work with feeling and intuition when it comes to studio set ups. No studio experience required but some camera experience is important.
No more Business as Usual - If everyone on Earth consumed resources and accumulated waste like we do in Ireland, we would need three Earths to sustain us and maintain how we live.
Creative Boardroom #Collaborate4Climate exhibition at the NCAD Gallery opens 21st November and runs until 6th December. Join us!
www.creativeboardroom.collaborate4climate.ie
@ncad_dublin@iodireland , IoD Northern Ireland @creativefuturesacademy@creativeireland
#collaborate4climate #sharedisland #creativeclimateaction
Dublin Temple on December 6th. MPH, Stoneybatter D7. All Levels. This Temple is called ‘Winter, Resting to Receive’ and will explore rest and not doing as practice and savour instead of something to fight against. Will life still meet us when we rest and do nothing for a bit? What is it like to connect from this place of not doing anything, not being anything or any one?
Temple is a space where we can come into awareness & presence with each other at these turning points — with intention, we can honour the never-ending cycles within and without — and play with the edge of belonging in not doing, not being — we can give the year’s lessons back to the earth and become unknown to ourselves again — and meet each other in this place.
Co-facilitated by Seán and our friend Laura (Ellowen) who is very much in touch with and celebration of the winter of her being.
Our beautiful Otherself / Love Temple cofounder and soul sister Danielle❤️ is diving deep in Australia at the moment. We will still feel her presence strongly but she will be with us in Spirit for this one.
This space is open to newcomers as well as members of all experience levels. We expect this evening to be very special and a beautiful passage point into the restoration season. Reach out with any Qs [email protected]❤️
I’m facilitating three awareness and connection immersions in March.
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Different practices, same message.
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March 2nd 11am-5pm
Light Meets Direction
Photo Museum Ireland
Discussion & Practical - Some SLR experience necessary (ALMOST FULL)
E160
Book at photomuseumireland.com
@photomuseumirl
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March 22nd 6.30-10pm
Latihan - Movement in the Void - monthly movement meditation practice with somatic connection.
Elbow Rooms, MPH, Stoneybatter
No experience necessary
€30 @latihan.ireland@danielle__darcy@elbowroomirl
Book at OtherSelf.co
March 15th and 16th
Re | member
Reclaiming an aware connection between body and land, sex and environment, shame and pollution. Guided 2 day Experiential Journey.
By submission form only
Dublin 4 Venue @thisisellowen@danielle__darcy@alexandra.c.morgan@eirosireland
€160-€190
Book at OtherSelf.co/events
