Shane Guffogg is a multi-media disciplinarian, whose visual language is informed by the spiritualism of abstraction, and the realism of the old masters. His interest in the world of science led him to begin working with AR and AI, creating new methods of creative interpretation. Sound also plays an important role in Guffogg’s practice, he has what is known as synesthesia – he hears colour and the results are extraordinary. We spoke to him about the relationship between sound, colour and AI.
1. What are your biggest artistic inspirations and how are they reflected in your work?
Life is my biggest inspiration. Life is how we measure time, which is a constant part of my work. The ability to leave the past and future at the door when I walk into my studio each day, and be in the moment, is the greatest challenge. When I begin a painting, I do not have any preconceived ideas other than potential colours. The brushstrokes that begin a painting are purely subconscious. When I go back into the painting and respond to that moment deriving from my subconscious, then my conscious mind takes overand the painting really becomes a manifestation of the relationship between the two, like a bridge. The “bridge” are my thoughts and memories about my life.
2. Please can you describe the relationship between sound and colour in your practice?
I have synesthesia which means that I hear colour. I have always had this and I assumed everyone else did. But it wasn’t until I was reading a book about spiritualism and art that I realised it is a rare phenomenon. What I listen to is very important to my painting and creative practice, I cannot listen to rock and roll or pop music, or any music that has words I can understand. I listen to a lot of contemporary composers.The music they create helps to keep me in the moment, in the now so that I can be present while painting.
3. How has working with AI developed this relationship?
At least 15 years ago, I was wondering if there was a software that could “read” my paintings and give back the sounds that I hear from the colours I use? The answer was no. But when AI came around then I started wondering again if there was a program that could translate my paintings into sound. After some research and countless Zoom meetings, I found a person who could write such a program.
The next step for me was to create a visual alphabet of chords, as in, I pick a colour from a painting and match it up with a chord. I did this in collaboration with an LA Pianist, Anthony Cardella. We charted out four paintings for a total of 40 plus colours. This visual chart of sound and colour was then given to Jonah Lynch, an AI software creator. He previously had visited me at my studio in Central California and we had a chance to really explore what my ideas were and also how I create my paintings.
After watching videos of me painting, he created a software that randomly chose colours on each painting based on the movement of my hand and arm. The colours were all given numbers, so what came out was a sequence that read something like, 7,8,2,1,5,7,8,9, 2,1, etc. Then those numbers were reassigned to the chords and presto, we had sheet music. And the most amazing thing for me was I could hear hints and traces of the music that I listen to while painting.But I like the music coming from my paintings much better. A concert was performed in Los Angeles and in Venice Italy of the music. Here is a link to the Los Angeles concert.
4. From your perspective, what are the broader implications of AI in art?
I think AI is a tool and it will depend on the creativity of the artists who use it to take art, music, etc. to a new place. For example, having AI create a Guffogg painting, which then spits out something that sort of resembles a painting of mine, is purely illustration because it is an illustration of an idea that AI helps to facilitate. Art is the idea itself. As the new shoe-feel begins to wear off, it will take on another role in the hands and minds of creative people.
5. As an artist, how would you define the relationship between art and technical innovation?
Art is a form of communication. It is an expression of what it means to be human, to be alive, to say I am here, and this is what I see and feel. If you really think about it, the invention of putting paint in tubes for artists to buy instead of an artist buying raw minerals and other organic matter to then crush and grind, mix with walnut or linseed oil to create a paste to then use to make images with, that was a huge innovation.
The French Impressionist movement wouldn’t have happened without artists being able to go out with their portable easels and tubes of paint. And think of photography.That was supposed to be the end of painting but instead, it freed painting up to be about the physicality of paint and used to express emotions via colours. And yes, figurative and realism art came back around, but it was informed by photography, which became part of the landscape of everyday life.
New ideas bring new ways of seeing and experiencing our world. A handful of people will take that to a new place and create images, objects, music, films, buildings, etc. that reflect who we are. AI is an extension of ourselves. It seems we have reached our limitations as to how fast our minds can think, so we have created an extension to help us think faster.
My only concern is that we end up with emotional jet lag, meaning that information is coming at us so fast that our minds cannot process it, causing a mental and emotional jet lag. Our brains are not evolving as fast as the technology we are creating. We all know how it feels to be too tired to think and the anxiety that can sometimes cause. Times that by 1000 and we have our contemporary world.
