Artificial Imagination: Ash White
The Puppet
Ash White
The Puppet
This is an ode to the power of love. How, in deep submission, we fall helplessly under its spell. Displayed in visual form using my own custom Ai model, additional illustrations and handwritten motifs that present my short poem:
"Woven under the shade of a sycamore, Framed in a summer vignette, Light is the heart pulled evermore, Like the strings of a marionette.”
“I’m Ash White, an interdisciplinary artist, programmer, and writer – utilising code, machine learning, written word, and traditional graphical techniques to create works that focus on identity and the natural world.”
What was your path to doing what you’re doing now?
I began my 20-year creative career as a programmer, primarily in web and app development. This evolved into an interdisciplinary practice of creating work across literature, paint, 2D, 3D, and Motion. I've been commissioned by record labels, publishers and other institutions to create artwork for various projects and have been fortunate to exhibit worldwide.
I decided to pursue art full-time just before the advent of NFTs, which allowed me to share work from the many facets of my digital catalogue – something I never thought possible. I had been writing code/algorithms for my generative art outlet for many years but grew interested in machine learning and GAN. I started building my datasets and models, which grew into a proprietary tool that became one of the first long-form generative-Ai tools for a dedicated art collection.
I now apply a broad range of tools and techniques acquired over the years to works that touch on themes of identity and nature.
Did you have an “Aha!” moment when you knew that working with AI was what you wanted to do?
Not really. I never see any technique or medium as anything more than a new path for exploration, development and expression, and then I see whether it fits into my more comprehensive practice.
How does AI influence your way of doing work now?
What Ai has done is essentially expedite the conceptual phases of my work. I use it as another tool in a long list of tools that make up my final pieces. What would take days to compose the right image now takes seconds. It has also allowed those with a limited design skillset to enter the creative space, which is healthy as it forces us all to think outside the box, push the technology further and ultimately create more compelling work. However, I don't use Ai as a unique tool. I find it too limiting. I would encourage people to consider it a component of a broader arsenal of tools.
Do you collaborate with other artists?
I have collaborated on a large project with some of my heroes, including SixNFive, Billelis, Skygolpe, MBSJQ, Lirona, Hackatao, and Claire Silver. I'm cert-allowing more in the future but still finding my new voice.
As a creative person, do you ever have those moments where you feel like everything you create is just shit?
I go through every piece's cliché creative spectrum of emotions, but I've learned to live with it. As artists, one of the biggest challenges we rarely discuss is letting go. Of our work and, subsequently, our ideas. We bake deeply held personal emotions within our work; they are no longer ours alone. This has crippled me in the past. I have so much unreleased work that I sometimes feel more of a curator. But working with the unpredictability of generative and Ai techniques, coupled with my love for all things wabi-sabi (the Japanese philosophy of finding beauty in imperfection), it’s been quite liberating, and I give less credence to perfection and more onus on feeling and flow nowadays.
Is it necessary to you to be a part of a creative community of people?
I feel like I'm a bit of a voyeur regarding the community. I like to observe from a distance. I'm not overly social at the best times, and having ADHD makes it challenging to maintain a meaningful presence. I get overwhelmed easily, so I fall short of "building a community" expectations. I appreciate that this has value in the space, but when discussing art, I still believe the work should be the focus, not the artist creating it. It's irrelevant what I'm doing from day to day. I also feel like the process of building and maintaining a community are things brands should do, not individual artists. As a collector of art, I value an artist buried deep into their work far more than being on social media or discord daily. Although perhaps I'm just projecting my failure at finding a balance between work and play and envy those who can.
Have you taken any significant risks to move forward?
Yes. Whereas before, my work would be pretty abstract and ambiguous, I've leaned into my vulnerability and exposed my thoughts and feelings through my work. My latest body of work is my most personal yet. Although there is still an element of mystery, I have found it incredibly cathartic to open up to my audience, regardless of whether that resonates as much as my earlier pieces.
What made you pursue NFT art as a medium?
Nothing changed for me regarding pursuit. I had been creating many years prior anyway. The term ‘NFT Art’ can be quite isolating for an artist. Art is on paper, canvas, or a digital screen. For most creatives, the dream is usually to make a living doing what you love and NFTs simply provide a means to control, store and sell our work reliably. Something that was previously gatekept in the traditional art world. There are fewer barriers now, which is refreshing.
What advice would you give to someone starting in AI art and NFT?
With Ai – experiment, have patience, find your voice, and have fun. Don’t get sucked in by the trends, or it might dilute what you want to say. But also use Ai as a filter or effect on a photo or a broader piece of work. It’s easy to use as a special tool, but your work will become a derivative of many others. By incorporating Ai into a unique workflow, you will yield more unique outputs, naturally.
With NFTs, it’s more involved – start by learning about the ecosystem, process, security, wallets, contract types, royalties, credible players, etc., before you put any money into the space. Be sure it’s the right environment for your work. It’s still relatively new, and many teething problems and bad actors are getting harder to discern. Due diligence is key, and if something seems too good to be true, it more than likely is.
What would it be if you could go back and do one thing differently?
I wouldn't change a thing. Through hardship, I have stretched my emotional capacity and sincerely appreciated the things in my life. I'm grateful for the scars. I have more to say and believe I'm right where I need to be.
Do you have any unrealised or unfinished projects?
So many. I'm always creating. Only select work gets released. I still have a few projects that started years ago, which I still plan to release. I hope they remain relevant.