Many people considered it a “formless blur of colors,” an image that was abstract but slightly resembling a human face. The image isn’t even properly positioned on the canvas, rather it is skewed towards the northwest.
In October 2018, this “art piece”: Portrait of Edmond de Belamy, an algorithm-generated print, was sold for $432,500, thus beginning the AI-Art goldRush.
Humans have always created and enjoyed all forms of art, for viewing purposes, for aesthetic purposes, and even for therapeutic purposes. Since the discoveries of an artistic shell carved by homoerectus, the art business has grown in leaps and bounds and become a highly profitable industry. Leonardo Davinci’s, Salvator Mundi went for $450.3 million, becoming the most expensive art piece to date.
Understanding and thriving in this industry is not as easy as it may appear, it requires a lot of knowledge, time, and exposure. 25-year-old Arushi Kapoor is the CEO and co-founder of ARTSop art consulting, is an entrepreneur who boasts all of these traits. She is also the founder of Arushi, a cultural center and art warehouse based in Echo Park, Los Angeles. In this article, Kapoor shares her knowledge of the art industry and the influence that tech and AI have on it.
Technology has impacted the way art is created and enjoyed for the better part of the last 100 years, the invention of portable paint tubes enabled artists to paint outdoors and sparked a contingent of stunning landscape and horizon paintings. Today cameras and software like Photoshop have redefined the way art is created and enjoyed.
Kapoor, who is herself a tech-enthusiast agrees that these advancements have been great, but insists that they have not changed the antiquated meaning of art.
“I will always be grateful for technology and technological advancements,” says Kapoor. “I wouldn’t have a business or be able to do what I have done in the industry since the age of 19, had it not been for technologies of various kinds.”
She continues,“However, in my experience, I feel that there is still and will always be that reverence in the hearts of art lovers towards handmade art and crafts. Technological creations have great utility and aesthetic value, but paintings and craft tend to have what I refer to as ‘artistic glory. Human creativity is what art is all about. Technology is a help to it, not a full replacement for it.”
Kapoor’s foray into the industry dates back to when she wrote her first book, “Talking Art” at age 19. With that book, she put the world on notice that art was not going to be just a fleeting interest for her. Kapoor grew up in India, Europe, and the US, and this multicultural exposure has certainly influenced her knowledge and understanding of art.
Kapoor is the director of Arushi, a US-based venture that made history as the first to present a sold-out all-Indian art show; “Art of India, Reclaiming The Present.”
ArtSop Consulting, a facet of Arushi, provides private art consulting to people around the world, buying and selling art for clients in the secondary art market. Additionally, ArtSop represents primary artists that are featured in the art warehouse, Arushi.
Kapoor is also a technology investor, who has done a lot of research and invested capital into AI-driven art startups that are moving the needle when it comes to the future of art tech.
Kapoor comments that the integration of AI and art has been received with mixed feelings.
“Personally, I haven’t seen any extraordinary artworks created by AI exclusively yet,” she says. “I think there is always going to be some human intervention required to create out of the park art. I recently heard, DeviantArt is an AI tool thats helping find stolen artworks. That’s extraordinary and that’s how I believe AI can make a positive impact on the art world”
The success of the AI-generated Portrait of Edmond de Belamy seems to have sparked off a series of AI art creations all wanting to cash out on the AI intrigue among some high spending art lovers.
In a recent exhibition of prints shown at the HG Contemporary gallery in Chelsea, the epicenter of New York’s contemporary art world, 20 prints were displayed as part of the “Faceless Portraits Transcending Time.”
The ARTSop CEO isn’t necessarily intrigued by this development, Kapoor’s MO has always been about highlighting upcoming local and female contemporary artists who have no platform to showcase their creations. In the opening of her “Invite-only” warehouse in LA, she featured a local female artist, Lindsay Dawn, for her first exhibition. Kapoor believes that real art should be discovered and celebrated.
“If AI prints continue to sell for huge amounts it may de-incentivize actual human creation and creativity,” says Kapoor.
Arushi Kapoor
Arushi
“At the rate at which technology is being accepted in every industry, it is no longer difficult to imagine a future where fewer artists are creating because they lack platforms to sell. ‘Arushi’ along with many other art companies and galleries, hopes to find a balance and to create an ecosystem where both kinds of art can co-exist in the future. This shift to accepting non man made artworks isnt widely accepted currently. I am optimistic that there would always be a large section of art lovers who prefer man-made creations or perhaps love both.”
Artificial Intelligence wasn’t initially applied to art as a creator but as an impersonator. The technique is called style transfer and it uses deep neural networks to replicate, recreate and blend styles of artwork, by teaching the AI to understand existing pieces of art. Alexandra Squire is an excellent example of how the very human process of making art is not easily replicated. Squire believes art is a universal language with vast meanings, and focuses on art that is substantial, open to interpretation, and rich in depth and texture.
The increased usage of all kinds of AI in all kinds of art suggests that it is here to stay. From the AI-written book, “1 The Road”, to Anna Riddler’s AI-generated blooming tulip videos, creators have found value in utilizing artificial intelligence.
The question then becomes, is AI the future of the art industry? Kapoor shares her sentiment on this pertinent question.
Kapoor adds, “The more optimistic view is that artificial intelligence evolves into a greater tool for existing creators to enhance, discover and replicate their works. We all hope for a world where our technologies help us, and not replace us.”
Kapoor’s perspective on the future of art and AI is probably the most tenable and desirable. There is a strong perception amongst art lovers that machines can not produce art in the real sense of the word.
This sentiment is partly true because so far, AI has only demonstrated an ability to study and understand existing art and to somehow enhance or combine them to produce something new, and in some cases, something better.
LONDON (AP) — With a few daubs of a paintbrush, the Brontë sisters have got their dots back.
More than eight decades after it was installed, a memorial to the three 19th-century sibling novelists in London’s Westminster Abbey was amended Thursday to restore the diaereses – the two dots over the e in their surname.
The dots — which indicate that the name is pronounced “brontay” rather than “bront” — were omitted when the stone tablet commemorating Charlotte, Emily and Anne was erected in the abbey’s Poets’ Corner in October 1939, just after the outbreak of World War II.
They were restored after Brontë historian Sharon Wright, editor of the Brontë Society Gazette, raised the issue with Dean of Westminster David Hoyle. The abbey asked its stonemason to tap in the dots and its conservator to paint them.
“There’s no paper record for anyone complaining about this or mentioning this, so I just wanted to put it right, really,” Wright said. “These three Yorkshire women deserve their place here, but they also deserve to have their name spelled correctly.”
It’s believed the writers’ Irish father Patrick changed the spelling of his surname from Brunty or Prunty when he went to university in England.
Raised on the wild Yorkshire moors, all three sisters died before they were 40, leaving enduring novels including Charlotte’s “Jane Eyre,” Emily’s “Wuthering Heights” and Anne’s “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.”
Rebecca Yorke, director of the Brontë Society, welcomed the restoration.
“As the Brontës and their work are loved and respected all over the world, it’s entirely appropriate that their name is spelled correctly on their memorial,” she said.
In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Vancouver Island art community, a local art dealer has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Calvin Lucyshyn, the former operator of the now-closed Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay, faces the charge after police seized hundreds of artworks, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, from various storage sites in the Greater Victoria area.
Alleged Fraud Scheme
Police allege that Lucyshyn had been taking valuable art from members of the public under the guise of appraising or consigning the pieces for sale, only to cut off all communication with the owners. This investigation began in April 2022, when police received a complaint from an individual who had provided four paintings to Lucyshyn, including three works by renowned British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and had not received any updates on their sale.
Further investigation by the Saanich Police Department revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Detectives found other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Winchester Galleries, leading police to execute search warrants at three separate storage locations across Greater Victoria.
Massive Seizure of Artworks
In what has become one of the largest art fraud investigations in recent Canadian history, authorities seized approximately 1,100 pieces of art, including more than 600 pieces from a storage site in Saanich, over 300 in Langford, and more than 100 in Oak Bay. Some of the more valuable pieces, according to police, were estimated to be worth $85,000 each.
Lucyshyn was arrested on April 21, 2022, but was later released from custody. In May 2024, a fraud charge was formally laid against him.
Artwork Returned, but Some Remain Unclaimed
In a statement released on Monday, the Saanich Police Department confirmed that 1,050 of the seized artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. However, several pieces remain unclaimed, and police continue their efforts to track down the owners of these works.
Court Proceedings Ongoing
The criminal charge against Lucyshyn has not yet been tested in court, and he has publicly stated his intention to defend himself against any pending allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10, 2024.
Impact on the Local Art Community
The news of Lucyshyn’s alleged fraud has deeply affected Vancouver Island’s art community, particularly collectors, galleries, and artists who may have been impacted by the gallery’s operations. With high-value pieces from artists like Emily Carr involved, the case underscores the vulnerabilities that can exist in art transactions.
For many art collectors, the investigation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud in the art world, particularly when it comes to dealing with private galleries and dealers. The seizure of such a vast collection of artworks has also led to questions about the management and oversight of valuable art pieces, as well as the importance of transparency and trust in the industry.
As the case continues to unfold in court, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for collectors and galleries alike, highlighting the need for due diligence in the sale and appraisal of high-value artworks.
While much of the seized artwork has been returned, the full scale of the alleged fraud is still being unraveled. Lucyshyn’s upcoming court appearances will be closely watched, not only by the legal community but also by the wider art world, as it navigates the fallout from one of Canada’s most significant art fraud cases in recent memory.
Art collectors and individuals who believe they may have been affected by this case are encouraged to contact the Saanich Police Department to inquire about any unclaimed pieces. Additionally, the case serves as a reminder for anyone involved in high-value art transactions to work with reputable dealers and to keep thorough documentation of all transactions.
As with any investment, whether in art or other ventures, it is crucial to be cautious and informed. Art fraud can devastate personal collections and finances, but by taking steps to verify authenticity, provenance, and the reputation of dealers, collectors can help safeguard their valuable pieces.
