By Vishani Ragobeer
Ackeem Thomas, a local creative, joined dozens of local artists at this year’s ‘Beyond the Brush: heartbeat of Heritage’ art exhibition organised by FineArt.gy at the end of November. His piece, a fusion of three-dimensional (3D) printing and traditional painting, was one of the pieces that intrigued many.
His circular painting had shades of red, yellow, and green. And from its center- the darker green circle- a muscular man seemed to be emerging. The man was the intriguing part. He wasn’t a two-dimensional (2D) painted on the canvas; he was a 3D-printed plastic figure.
“The colours represent Guyana and the man represents oil, basically emerging from Guyana,” Ackeem told the News Room at the Palazzo, Camp Street, where the exhibition was held.
Ackeem didn’t just focus on the work that went into creating his piece, though. He opened up about merging technology and art. He said mixing his art with 3D printing is something he has been trying out but believes there is space- lots of space- to do more ‘tech’ things in art.
Augmented Reality (AR) is one aspect of technology he believes more exhibitions in Guyana could embrace. Using this, he explained, can help otherwise 2D creations to become more immersive and interactive.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is another aspect of technology that could be embraced, according to Ackeem. Generative AI programmes, like Midjourney for example, generate images based on language prompts or descriptions.
“I think if we wanna go forward, I think AI is the way to go, not to use it but to enhance your creativity, not to use it 100%,” he said.
Several others agree that marrying technology and art has its benefits in the creative space.
Sade Barrow-Browne, the creator of the online art gallery FineArt.gy and the person behind Beyond the Brush, doesn’t believe that AI or technology detracts from artists’ work. She thinks artists create authentic pieces and in Guyana, that’s an integral part of cultural preservation.
Of course, she concedes, technology is unavoidable. So its responsible use is paramount.
“You can use it responsibly. If you have a vision of what you want, you can use AI,” she said. “It is to be used responsibly.”
Alyce Cameron, a mixed-media artist and tutor at the E.R. Burrowes School of Arts, contended that technology is a tool that can be used for good.
“Technology, I think, is supposed to make work easier,” Alyce told the News Room at the Palazzo exhibition.
She continued, “Some persons think the two are competitive, they think the computer is taking away from the art but it depends. Now, you can put your thoughts into art and it can create an image of what you are thinking about.”
On the other side of the city, there is another exhibition at the National Art Gallery of Art (better known as Castellani House). This one is called ‘Immersion: Into the Jungle.’
When you walk into Castellani House, it might seem like this is a traditional art exhibition. The sight of patrons holding their phones in front of some of the pieces could be mistaken for the simple act of photographing or videoing an interesting piece.
Curator Pekahiah James quickly comes by to tell you that all is not as it seems.
She pinpoints the QR codes on the wall- one to connect to the free WiFi and the other, to download the ‘Artivive’ app. She then takes you across the room to a painting of the side profile of an Indigenous woman. Sure, the painting is an intriguing one but Pekahiah then tells you to open the Artivive app and hold your phone in front of the painting as though you were about to take a photo of it.
Soon enough- a strong WiFi connection permitting- the Indigenous woman turns to look at you. Well, it might seem as though she is glaring at you for some odd reason but you might be too taken aback that the painting moves to focus on her countenance.
VIDEO: Augmented Reality embraced at the Immersion: Into the Jungle exhibition
Pekahiah then tells you that pieces throughout the exhibition embrace technology in ways that perhaps, have never been seen in Guyana. The painting of the Indigenous woman uses Augmented Reality, or AR for short. It is a bit of technology that blends the physical and digital worlds, fostering a more immersive experience of both.
That’s not the only way technology has been infused into the exhibition.
“In this exhibition, we took the time to integrate physical artistic media with various forms of technology. These include the use of Augmented Reality, projection mapping, and motion, lighting, and sound,” Maharanie Jhillu, the lead project coordinator and artistic director of the exhibition, said at its launch in November.
Maharanie’s pieces are among those that demonstrate how embracing technology can make art more immersive.
One of her creations demonstrates how Guyana’s Indigenous people communicated through petroglyphs. Symbols that represent animals- fish and frogs, for example- recreate animals depicted on petroglyphs in Guyana’s Rupununi. With sensors behind her art, Maharanie’s piece seems to bring those animals to life. When you place your hand over the petroglyph of a frog, you hear its loud croaking soon after.
VIDEO: Maharanie’s piece incorporates sound at the Immersion: Into the Jungle exhibition
Technology finds its place throughout the exhibition. Akash Bridgemohan, the engineer who helped to bring the art pieces alive, said this event is necessary to show how technology and art can cooexist harmoniously.
“People often think of tech and art as being two immiscible entities when, in reality… we need to move more towards STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) and where we can incorporate the two together,” he posited at the November launch.
In an interview with the News Room, Jhillu expressed hope that the exhibition may help to get more people excited about the arts. For her, the aim was to introduce an experience that is “unforgettable” while simultaneously encouraging more people to support the arts, in cash and kind.
It seems as though Immersion: Into the Jungle has been well-received. At Castellani House, many marvel at the paintings and artwork coming to life.
“I was fortunate to experience this experience and its unique immersiveness,” patron Keisha Perreira commented.
Like the patrons there, creatives seem to be embracing technology in the local arts scene. Yet, some concerns linger. Conversations on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are among those that draw concerns.
At one major commercial complex in Greater Georgetown, AI images are printed on canvases and sold for a pretty penny as home decor. Sadé and another local artist at the Beyond the Brush exhibition, Lisa Thompson are among those who weren’t very fond of that.
“If you are appreciative of the arts and who makes that art, you wouldn’t want to see above what they can do for you in a more authentic way.
“It’s a little bit disrespectful and not appreciative of what we do,” Sadé emphasised.
Initial ire aside, Lisa believes the infusion of art and AI is a nuanced conversation.
She shares Sadé’s sentiments. For her, an artist’s creation is an amalgamation of how the world is perceived and one’s feelings, brought together by innate creativity. Art is a piece of the artist, she posits.
“The creative process for an artist, is not a click and print. It is a process, it takes time,” Lisa explained. And she posited that all this should clarify why an artist’s work should be supported and celebrated.
However, she has no hardline stance against AI art.
“If it is presented as AI art, that’s fine. But if it is not, that’s dishonest (and) it’s disrespectful and it shows a lack of integrity,” Lisa reasoned.
The artists’ views are microcosmic of the varying takes on the increasingly topical discussion of technology and art in Guyana.
Back at the Palazzo, while surrounded by dozens of creatives, Ackeem shows that he is one of the local creatives embracing technology more. Though keen on using technology to push the boundaries of his art, he is firm in his stance that it should be used responsibly.
