Start: Project “Dazzle Sexy Sparkle”
The Project - “Dazzle Sexy Sparkle”
While other artists are fighting against AI, I’m partnering with AI in a mutually symbiotic relationship to create images that excite the imagination and cater to current moment-ephemeral image consumption. The lens of capitalism and popular social media culture dictates the form and narrative of the work shared in this project. Each move is made with the hopeful response of titillating those with the lion's share of the wealth in capitalism in 2024 USA.
TL;DR Sexy art school girl turns dudes on with AI-generated and art wins at capitalism selling sex tapes on OnlyFans.
Chroma Dazzle, one of my AI Artist Avatars
Introduction
I spent all of 2023 exploring the big question of how do I make a living from art? What ended up being a focus of more than half of the year was dissecting the intersection of capitalism in the United States and being an artist. Being an artist in 2024 is much different than the 1990s when I was in art school and every decade prior.
What I learned was that the field of art, making art, documenting making art, preparing for art shows, and selling artwork is all a tiny fraction of what it means to be an artist in 2024. More so than materials, quality, subject matter, showing, or selling art, the most important aspect of being an artist is how to fit into the fabric of public perception. The artist's story has always been critical to success, but today, it’s far more public, sensational, and competitive than ever before. The findings from that exploration led to clarity about what comes next.
There are certain themes of what becomes popular. While I personally speak against the trope of the undiscovered starving artist as a marginalizing and self-fulfilling stereotype, it is a powerful story in the fabric of social opinion about an artist. Capitalizing on this trope is a core part of building a narrative in the minds of potential fans.
People want to insert themselves into a story that is easy for them to understand. They want to be the ones to discover and support the otherwise undiscovered artist. They want to support the poor, lost, helpless, tormented souls who need help and support from a “hero.” And as most wealth is centralized in straight, cis-gender, White men, it sure does not hurt if you are a “helpless” cute femme-presenting person with big boobs and blond hair.
All this is happening against the backdrop of the rise of AI art in 2023 into mainstream consciousness. Artists, celebrities, and politicians came out against AI art, all for very reasonable reasons. As much as we attempt to fight, control, and regulate, AI image generation is here to stay. As an artist and former software engineer, it’s my realm of responsibility to have a dialogue with AI in the form of both art and code.