Redefining Artistic Creativity: How Generative AI is Reinventing the Concept of Art as a Remix
In his dialogue, “The Republic”, Plato puts forward the concept of mimesis: the notion that all art is an imitation of an imitation, twice removed from Reality. According to Plato, mimesis is a secondary or derivative form of reality. He believed that our quotidian physical world is an imperfect copy of the ideal world of Forms or Ideas, which exists beyond the physical realm. He argued that creative works, such as art and literature, are mere imitations or copies of the ideal Forms. For Plato, mimesis is a representation of reality that is several times removed from the truth, and it is therefore considered to be a distorted or inferior version of reality.
According to Plato, True Reality (with a capital R) is The Platonic realm, also known as the world of Forms or Idea. This realm is a non-physical, ideal realm that exists beyond the physical world we perceive with our senses. In this metaphysical/ontological/non-physical realm, there are eternal, unchangeable, and perfect Forms or Ideas that are the true reality, and the physical world is considered to be an imperfect copy or imitation of these Forms.
For example, in the Platonic realm, there would be a perfect Form of a circle, which would be eternal and unchanging, whereas any physical circle we see in the physical world would be an imperfect imitation of that perfect Form.
Similarly, in the philosophy of Vedanta, which is a school of thought within Hinduism, the concept of paramarthika satta refers to the ultimate reality or absolute truth that transcends the illusory nature of the physical world, which is called maya.
Even though Plato’s philosophy and Vedanta have distinct differences in their metaphysical and epistemological frameworks, as they arise from different cultural and philosophical traditions, both Plato’s realm of Forms and the Vedantic concept of paramarthika satta emphasise the idea of an eternal, unchanging reality that is beyond the imperfections of the physical world. They also highlight the limitations of sensory perception and emphasise the importance of reason or spiritual insight in gaining true knowledge or understanding of reality.
Everything is a Remix — So Steal Like an Artist
Austin Kleon is known for his work on creativity and the creative process, and his book “Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative” is a sort of manifesto for the digital age. In his book, Kleon encourages artists and creators to embrace the idea that all creative work is built on existing ideas and influences, and that borrowing, remixing, and reinterpreting existing works is a natural part of the creative process. He advocates for artists to be open to inspiration from various sources and to use these influences to create something new and original.
The idea that “all art is a remix” suggests that creative works are built on existing ideas, influences, and inspirations from other works or sources. Just like a remix in music takes elements from different songs and recombines them to create a new composition, art often involves taking inspiration from pre-existing ideas, concepts, styles, techniques, or even entire works, and transforming them into something new and original.
Artists draw on their experiences, observations, emotions, cultural influences, and the world around them to create their works. They may borrow elements from the natural world, other artworks, epistemological concepts, and historical or contemporary events to create something unique. This can manifest in various ways, such as referencing or reinterpreting existing works, incorporating stylistic or thematic elements from other artists, or remixing and recontextualising cultural symbols, icons, or imagery.
Additionally, art often evolves through time, with artists building upon the work of those who came before them and influencing those who come after them. Art movements, styles, and genres often emerge as a result of artists remixing and reinterpreting existing ideas, pushing the boundaries of what is considered traditional or acceptable in art.
Furthermore, the creative process itself involves combining, transforming, and synthesising ideas and inspirations into a new form. Artists often experiment, play with different techniques, and iterate on their works, taking cues from various sources along the way. This iterative and collaborative nature of the creative process can be seen as a form of remixing, where artists constantly draw on existing elements to create something new and unique.
The Dawn of a New Era
With Chat GPT and other Generative A.I., we are now at the dawn of a new era where we are able to use words to conjure up new worlds and construct new realities.
Generative A.I., such as Midjourney, can be seen as excellent examples of the notion that all art is a remix because they rely on existing data and patterns to create new works of art. Midjourney is a neural network-based model that generates digital art by combining and remixing various artistic styles, genres, and techniques. It uses a database of images, which serves as its training data, and then uses the learned patterns to generate new images in a similar style.
But there’s nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about this process of remixing or combining different elements to create something new. It has been a fundamental aspect of artistic creation from the very beginning. Artists throughout history have drawn inspiration from existing art, culture, and the world around them to create new works. They remix existing ideas, styles, techniques, and concepts to express their unique vision and perspective.
Generative A.I., including Midjourney, does a similar process by learning from existing data and remixing it to generate new art. It takes inspiration from the vast database of images it has been trained on, and then remixes and recombines those visual elements to create something new and unique. However, it’s important to note that generative A.I. is not simply copying or reproducing existing art, but rather it remixes and reinterprets the learned patterns to generate original art that may not have existed before.
Moreover, generative A.I. like Midjourney also challenges the traditional notions of authorship and originality in art. While humans are often credited as the creators of the training data and the designers of the A.I. model, the generated art is a result of the A.I.’s own creative process, which is influenced by the dataset it has been trained on. This blurs the lines between human and machine creativity and raises questions about the nature of art, authorship, and originality in the age of A.I. The lesson we learn is that all art is a continuous process of building upon existing ideas and creating something new, whether it’s done by humans or A.I.
Synthesising and Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Domains
In Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Domains, Synthesising is the highest cognitive domain, representing a higher-order thinking skill that involves the ability to combine or integrate information, ideas, or elements from different sources to create a new whole. Synthesising goes beyond basic comprehension, analysis, and evaluation of information, and requires learners to engage in critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.
Synthesising involves taking separate parts, ideas, or concepts and combining them in a way that creates a new and original whole. It involves generating new insights, perspectives, or solutions by drawing on existing knowledge and making connections between seemingly disparate pieces of information.
Synthesising is considered the highest cognitive domain in Bloom’s Taxonomy because it represents a higher level of cognitive complexity and sophistication. It requires learners to go beyond simple recall or reproduction of facts and instead requires them to engage in critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and higher-order mental processes to analyse ideas and actively construct new knowledge by assembling and integrating different elements into a coherent whole.
There is Nothing New Under the Sun
“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” — Ecclesiastes 1:9
The Big Bang Theory is a widely accepted scientific model for the origin of the universe. In the beginning, all space, time, energy, and matter was packed into an infinitesimal point and from that primordial explosion everything we see in the universe arose. In the beginning, there were only hydrogen and helium atoms. Over billions of years, these atoms coalesced to form nebulas, stars, galaxies and now humans. The carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and other elements in the human body (and, indeed, in all life on Earth) come from stars that went supernova and scattered their enriched elements across the universe.
From the perspective of this paradigm, there can be nothing original in the universe. Everything we can see is made of quarks and electrons. So, from a scientific perspective, everything is indeed a remix. All matter is made of essentially mixing and remixing fundamental particles and primordial elements from the periodic table.
For those with an existential bent, we could even try connecting quantum physics with the idea that all art is a remix and that nothing is original. While there may not be a direct scientific link between these two ideas, we could, for the fun of it, explore some philosophical and conceptual connections that could be drawn. (The key is to think symbolically and understand metaphorically).
Quantum Creativity and Artistic Innovation
Quantum superposition is a phenomenon in quantum physics where particles can exist in multiple states simultaneously until measured or observed. This idea could be likened to the concept of art remix, where artists take existing elements and combine them in new and unique ways to create something new. In both cases, the idea of multiple possibilities and combinations coexisting until they are “observed” or “measured” can be seen as a parallel between quantum superposition and art remix.
The Uncertainty Principle, a fundamental concept in quantum physics, states that there are inherent limitations in simultaneously measuring certain pairs of physical properties, such as position and momentum, with high precision. This principle could be related to the idea that nothing is truly original in art, as artists often draw inspiration from existing works or ideas, and it can be challenging to pinpoint a single source of inspiration. The Uncertainty Principle suggests that there may be inherent limitations in precisely determining the origin or “position” of an artistic idea or work, much like the challenges of precisely determining the position and momentum of a quantum particle.
Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon in quantum physics where particles can become correlated in such a way that their states are interdependent, even when separated by great distances. This concept could be compared to the idea that artistic influence can spread and become intertwined across different artists, genres, and time periods. Just as quantum particles can be entangled, leading to correlated behaviours, artistic ideas and influences can become entangled, leading to a complex web of interconnected artistic expressions and inspirations.
Quantum creativity is a theoretical concept that suggests that the creative process may involve a non-linear, unpredictable, and spontaneous emergence of ideas, similar to the probabilistic nature of quantum phenomena. This idea could align with the concept that all art is a remix, as artists draw from a multitude of influences and inspirations in a spontaneous and unpredictable manner, resulting in new and innovative artistic expressions. Just as quantum phenomena can emerge in unexpected and non-linear ways, artistic ideas and expressions can also arise in unpredictable and remix-like manners.
While there may not be a direct scientific connection between quantum physics and the idea that all art is a remix and nothing is truly original, there are intriguing philosophical and conceptual parallels that could be drawn. These connections highlight the complex, dynamic, and interdependent nature of both quantum physics and art, providing interesting avenues for exploration and discussion.
It’s important to note that while all art may involve remixing or taking inspiration from existing works, this does not imply that artists simply copy or plagiarise. True creativity involves transforming and reinterpreting existing ideas in new and original ways, adding one’s own unique perspective, and creating something that reflects the artist’s individual voice and vision. Art is a complex and multifaceted process that involves a balance of influence, inspiration, and originality.
