David Salle’s exhibition “Some Versions of Pastoral” at Thaddaeus Ropac London highlights his innovative use of AI in creating dynamic new artworks. The collection reinterprets his past works, blending abstract expressionism with contemporary themes, ultimately redefining the concept of pastoral art. This marks a notable evolution in Salle’s artistic exploration, revealing the transformative power of technology in art.
David Salle’s exhibition, “Some Versions of Pastoral,” at Thaddaeus Ropac London marks his first solo show in the UK. It features his innovative series, New Pastorals, created using artificial intelligence to enhance the visual dynamism and conceptual depth of his work. Salle aims for a fluid, elastic pictorial space to blend reality with abstraction.
Throughout his career, Salle has drawn inspiration from various imagery sources, such as magazines and art history, juxtaposing them in a uniquely abstract composition rooted in Abstract Expressionism. His latest works recycle his past paintings, feeding them into a bespoke AI programme to create distorted variations of pastoral scenes, resulting in intricate, lyrical artwork that reflects modern visual culture.
The paintings portray a tapestry of objects and forms where traditional laws of space dissipate. Some elements showcase remarkable artistry, while others remain sketchy. Patterns emerge but often dissolve into a painterly chaos, symbolising the unpredictability of the visual world. The contrasting techniques evoke a sense of exploration and freedom in art.
Salle views painting as a continually evolving technology, adopting tools from past to present, including AI, which allows for rule-breaking creativity without guilt. Collaborating with engineer Grant Davis, he trained the AI model on select artworks to enrich it with principles of composition while focusing on his earlier sketches for clarity and intensity.
The exhibition’s title comes from William Empson’s work, underscoring a modern interpretation of pastoral themes, which often romanticise rural life through an idealised lens. Salle’s previous Pastorals connect with the latest works, which now function as backdrops for his artistic performances, allowing him to create new narratives from familiar themes.
By using algorithms, Salle detaches from personal meaning, echoing avant-garde movements that liberated creativity. His works merge machine learning with imagination, resulting in a seamless interplay of realities that captivates the viewer. Today, art can resiliently reconfigure itself, embodying the malleability of creative expression.
David Salle’s “Some Versions of Pastoral” showcases a groundbreaking fusion of AI with traditional painting techniques. The exhibition presents a transformation of Salle’s earlier works into new compositions that explore themes of pastoral imagery, weaving together past influences and new technologies. Through this innovative approach, Salle offers insight into the endless possibilities of contemporary art, highlighting the intersection between machine learning and human creativity.
Original Source: ropac.net