'Another England': Conceptual artist Phillip Toledano on his AI-enhanced images • FRANCE 24

Key Concepts

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Art: The use of AI tools like Midjourney to create images, challenging traditional notions of photography and authorship.
• Hyperrealism and Surrealism: Philip Tolidano's artistic style, characterized by highly realistic yet often surreal or fantastical imagery.
• "Another England" and "Another America": Tolidano's book projects that use AI to reimagine historical and cultural narratives.
• Deepfakes: AI-generated synthetic media that can convincingly mimic real people or events, raising concerns about truth and manipulation.
• Authorship and Copyright in the AI Era: The complex questions surrounding ownership and originality when AI is involved in the creative process.
• The Death of Photographic Truth: The idea that AI-generated images blur the lines between reality and fabrication, making it difficult to trust photographic evidence.
• Cognitive Imbalance: The psychological state of living in a world where AI makes everything seem both true and untrue simultaneously.
• Reimagining History and Society: Tolidano's use of AI to explore alternative historical timelines and reshape societal perceptions.
• The Long Shadow of Political Figures: The enduring influence of figures like Margaret Thatcher on contemporary society and political discourse.
• The Evolution of Image Consumption: How digital platforms and AI are changing the way we create, consume, and critically engage with images.
• Anthropological and Personal Exploration: Tolidano's use of art to explore themes of grief, aging, identity, and the human experience.

Philip Tolidano on AI, Art, and "Another England"

Philip Tolidano, an artist known for his hyperreal, stylish, and humorous images, discusses his latest book, "Another England," presented at the Bifut Fair. His work explores visions of the world as it is, could be, or might never be, often with a retro texture.

The Role of AI in Art Creation

Tolidano's images are generated using Midjourney, an artificial intelligence tool. He explains that his AI work fundamentally addresses our "radically redefined relationship with the image" and the concept of photography as truth, stating, "The idea of photography is truth is dead." He posits that the existence of AI places us in a "liminal space" where "everything is true and nothing is true at the same time," reflecting a "strange cognitive imbalance."

"Another England": Humor and Provocation

The book "Another England" features a range of humorous and surreal imagery, including "floral human hybrids," "water slides in cathedrals," and "women who decided to biologically merge with their pets." The series has elicited mixed reactions, with some finding it thought-provoking and others puzzled.

Invented Reviews and Deepfakes

Tolidano reveals that the "reviews" presented for "Another England" are not real but invented, serving as "deep fakes" for an "invented history." He acknowledges the recent headlines surrounding deepfakes and their potential to influence public opinion and democratic processes.

Authorship, Copyright, and AI

Addressing the implications of AI for artistic ownership and copyright, Tolidano notes that AI learns from vast datasets, functioning similarly to how an artist absorbs influences. However, he points out that AI is "owned by a corporation." He provocatively states, "The history of art is the history of theft. So this time it's kind of institutionalized which makes it different."

The Artist's Role in AI Creation

Tolidano refutes the idea that artists are being erased by AI. He emphasizes that AI does not operate autonomously; rather, the artist conceives the idea, crafts it, and refines it, a process that can take "a couple of days to a week or two to get the image exactly as I want it." He asserts, "So you're very much in there still."

Previous Projects: "Another America" and "We Are at War"

Tolidano's latest book follows his projects "Another America" and "We Are at War," which also utilized AI to create surreal yet convincing alternative histories.

Subverting the Image of Mid-Century America

"Another America" is set in 1940s and 50s New York. Tolidano chose this era because of its familiar visual style, which predisposes viewers to believe the images. He aimed to "reinvent a history of New York," which involved meticulously considering and inventing elements like fashion, disasters, and landmarks that never existed, granting him "that much control over an entire world."

American Society in Flux

Living and working in New York, Tolidano observes that American society has moved "outside of moving history" for decades and is now "firmly inside of history and it's moving very quickly." He believes society has forgotten "how quickly events can move, how quickly society can change in radical ways," which he sees happening in America today.

The Enduring Influence of Margaret Thatcher

The book "Another England" features Margaret Thatcher, notably depicted "carved into the white cliffs of Dover," described as a "60 ft of limestone grimace, glaring eternally towards France." Tolidano calls her "eternal, impossible to ignore." He reflects on the contemporary "rehabilitation" of figures like Thatcher and Reagan, who were "reviled at the time" but are now seen as "a softer, more sane version of politics." He notes the irony of people looking back at George Bush with fondness, despite him being "a joke" at the time.

Britain's Relationship with France

The image of Thatcher on the White Cliffs is seen as symbolic of the UK's relationship with France. Tolidano suggests that this relationship, particularly concerning how England views foreigners, has not changed, citing Brexit as an "exemplary" instance of "strange ill-founded suspicion." He finds this confounding, given his French heritage.

Personal Exploration Through Art

Tolidano has also used his own likeness in his artwork, drawing parallels to artists like Man Ray, Diane Arbus, and Cindy Sherman.

Envisioning Personal Futures and Grief

For one series, Tolidano explored the "precipitous death of my parents" and the "sudden right angles that life has in store for us that are unseen." He envisioned "all the worst possible things that will happen to me," consulting fortune tellers and tarot card readers for negative predictions. He worked with a prosthetic expert to embody these future selves, finding the experience of aging rapidly from 45 to 95 in a wheelchair particularly profound. He realized "how invisible you are to the world" when perceived as an old, infirm person, stating, "life, the world looks through you because you don't count anymore."

Fatherhood and Technology

Tolidano has explored fatherhood from both a son's and a father's perspective. He shares a touching film of his daughter interacting with an iPad. Regarding her generation's relationship with technology, he acknowledges the tendency to view one's own upbringing as superior. He observes that his daughter and her friends engage with technology differently, gathering around iPads, but questions whether this is "better or worse," stating, "It just is." He draws parallels to historical anxieties about new technologies like the novel or rock and roll music, which were seen as corrupting youth.

The Changing Landscape of Image Consumption

Tolidano discusses how technology influences the way images are consumed. He identifies a "trifecta" of factors: the "perfect system of dissemination" (phones and social media), AI's image generation capabilities, and the way we "digest images." He notes that we "don't spend any time considering images. We just flick past them or forward them," leading to a "constant state of flicking or forwarding" without critical thinking. This lack of analysis makes the spread of potentially fabricated information dangerous.

Aesthetic Considerations for Digital Images

From an aesthetic standpoint, Tolidano acknowledges that images might be seen on smaller surfaces. He suggests that "a very graphic, simple image probably functions best in a smaller bit of acreage." However, he maintains that his AI-generated images are similar in construction, concept, spirit, and humor to his earlier photographic work. He identifies as a "conceptual artist," where the idea is paramount, and his "peculiar sense of humor" then translates across various scales of publication.

Conclusion

Philip Tolidano's work, particularly "Another England," utilizes AI to question the nature of truth in imagery, explore alternative histories, and comment on contemporary society and politics. His artistic process, while incorporating AI, remains deeply rooted in conceptualization and the artist's unique vision and sense of humor. The discussion highlights the evolving relationship between technology, art, and our perception of reality.