Hyperrealism with Tom Mulliner

Art, in its many forms, has been a cornerstone of human culture for millennia. From the cave paintings of our ancestors to the digital art of today, it has always been a medium for expression, communication, and reflection. However, the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has brought about a seismic shift in the art world, particularly in the realms of realism and photorealism. While AI has the potential to revolutionize these art movements, it also poses significant challenges and threats.  ## The Rise of AI in Art AI's involvement in art is not a new phenomenon. In fact, it has been gradually infiltrating the art world for several years now. AI algorithms can now generate artwork, and some of these pieces have even been sold at prestigious auction houses.  (images created at random using Midjourney) However, the impact of AI on art is not limited to the creation of new pieces. It also extends to the way we interact with and interpret art. For instance, AI can anal...

Art, in its many forms, serves as a mirror to the world, reflecting back to us the beauty, complexity, and diversity that surrounds us. As a photorealist artist, I've often found myself at the receiving end of comments like, "Oh, it looks just like a photo." While such remarks are undoubtedly flattering, they also provoke a sense of curiosity and reflection. What if this artist's goal is to paint a representation of the real objects depicted in their paintings rather than a facsimile of a photograph of said object? This led me to develop what I call the "Peach hypothesis," a concept that explores the intricate relationship between perception, representation, and reality. The Peach Hypothesis is based on the premise that our brains create templates of the things we see and experience in our environment. Let's take a peach as an example. When we look at a peach, our brain doesn't merely see a fruit; it recognizes a series of objective descr...