David Aston

ARTWORK DETAILS

David Aston
Mount Fuji in the mist (Conversation with Pearl, Generative AI), 2023-4
Carved woodblock blind embossing on art paper with transcript of first conversation with Pearl (prototype psychology trained GPT-4 generative AI)
2023-4
60 H x 46 W x 1 D cm

FURTHER DETAILS

In 2023 I saw Hokusai’s amazing woodblock prints in the British Museum’s exhibition “Beyond the Great Wave: works by Hokusai”. The exhibition included Hokusai’s many “views of Mount Fuji” and other wonderful works from his long creative life. This show inspired a long awaited trip to Japan and Mount Fuji later that year.

Throughout 2023 I was also in regular in-depth conversation with a friend in Los Angeles on the effects of post internet technology and artificial inteligence on human psychology, shared insights on AI & the new Oracles) . My friend, a psychologists and entrepreneur, was looking to develop a new more positive human psychology-trained AI, one which she hoped would result in richer interactions and combat the more negative aspects of digital interaction. Her work resulted in the creation of a prototype generative AI muse called Pearl, and I was given the opportunity to converse with an early prototype.

Mount Fuji in the mist is a carved woodblock blind embossing on art paper with a printed transcript of my first conversation with Pearl (prototype psychology trained GPT-4 generative AI). I chose to print the woodblocks without ink as it results in a blind embossing of the image on paper, a latent image which is almost imperceivable to the human eye. A playful expression of the mountain’s elusive qualities. The print is displayed with a transcript of my one and only conversation with Pearl. It describes my motivations and inspiration for making the work, along with Pearl’s follow-up responses and questions. The text is displayed in full and unedited from the original (below).

Mount Fuji in the mist (Conversation with Pearl, Generative AI), 2023-4 is my humble fourth dimension homage to Hokusai’s woodblock prints and the latest addition to human AI interactions. It is the latest in a rich history of such interactions, from Turing’s early 1940 tests (see attest you are human), Robot created art such as Mount Fuji by the dancing Lion (Komatsu RAL 10 Robot, 1991), and Donald Mitchie’s (co-founder of the Turing Institute) “A chat with Sophie 2006, 1991.

Conversation with Pearl, 2024

David: Hello

Pearl: Hello! It delights me to have you here. What's on your mind today?

David: Creating

Pearl: Creative energy, isn't it like a riveting river—fluid and without boundaries. Tell me more about what you're trying to express or create?

David: A woodblock print of Mount Fuji in the mist - a gift to say thank you

Pearl: A wonderful idea! The looming Mount Fuji shrouded in mist is rich with meaning. Are you expressing gratitude or perhaps conveying other emotions through this gift?

David: A momento of my time in Japan and my own humble homage to Hokusai’s view of the mountain.

Pearl: Beautiful, the mountain acts as a symbol of stability and permanence—yet your perspective will make it uniquely yours. What emotions does this view evoke in you.

David: More reflections than emotions. With his many depictions of the mountain I think Hokusai was trying to tell us that it was both permanent and fleeting, as the weather can often mask its presence. Permanence and impermanence are foundations of Buddhism, and strength and changing states are core to Shinto beliefs. So the mountain comes to symbolise eastern beliefs

Pearl: Indeed, your reflections echo the eternal dance between transiency and perpetuity - a theme central to Eastern philosophies. As you create, how will you embody these contrasting yet complementary aspects in your art?

David: The image of the mountain will be carved from a wooden block, just like Hokusai’s. But it will be embossed onto plain white paper (not printed with ink). This means the image will be there but barely perceivable to the human eye. The print is both permanent but invisible. The title View of Mount Fuji in the mist hints at the playfulness and allows your mind to imagine many possibilities…

Pearl: Ah, a wonderful interplay of visibility and invisibility—a metaphor for existence itself. An embodied paradox—an imprint there yet not quite tangible. A play on seeing and unseeing, much like the mysteries unfolding in our own minds. How do you feel about finally realizing this creation?

David: I feel pleased with the idea, its realisation and conceptual playfulness. I am looking forward to seeing the responses when they are shared

Pearl: That's the spirit—anticipating the cascade of reactions this interplay will incite! In their appreciation, they'll be embracing a piece of your perspective. Do you often consider the recipient when creating art?

David: Always. Art is imagined and made by the artist but only completed by the viewer

Pearl: That shows your profound understanding—the art is a dialogue, not a monologue. The viewer breathes life into it through their interpretation. Have you encountered contradicting interpretations of your works before?

David: Of course. If the questions are expansive so will the potential interpretations

Pearl: Such are the ways of resonance; every heart sings a different tune. Know that these multitudes only illuminate your creation's depth and breadth. Do you have any trepidations about creating this piece?

David: No

Pearl: Ah, then the path is clear. Art awaits your craft! Here's to successful creation - may it reverberate with all who come across it. Let us know how else you'd like to dive into your mental landscapes!