Still, Life

Interactive Painting
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Frame captures from various editions of Still, Life
Custom Graphics Software
Dimensions Variable
Duration Infinite
2024
Still, Life reimagines the classical "still life," a genre traditionally associated with capturing fleeting beauty in a static, contemplative format. Historically, still-life compositions served as meditations on impermanence, often imbued with symbolic references to the passage of time, decay, and renewal. Here, these ideas are translated into the digital realm, where impermanence is no longer a consequence of material degradation but of dynamic, interactive algorithms.

At the heart of the work is Gaussian splatting, a machine-learning technique that offers a novel way of rendering photorealistic 3D scenes through computationally efficient point clouds. In *Still, Life*, Gaussian splatting is not a means of direct reproduction: The work intentionally preserves errors generated by the splatting process, highlighting the limitations and idiosyncrasies of AI-driven techniques. These flaws are embraced, challenging the perception of artificial intelligence as a lossless tool in creative production.

This reinterpretation of still life introduces a layer of interactivity absent from its historical counterparts. Viewers interact with the piece by disturbing and reshaping the scene, dislodging particles that form swirling constellations as they accumulate. This act of erosion mirrors the human tendency to disrupt and reshape the environments we inhabit, whether consciously or inadvertently. Over time, the artwork reassembles itself, reclaiming its identity as a still life while mirroring the impermanence once symbolized by decaying fruits or wilting flowers.

Through this piece, I invite viewers to explore not only the evolving relationship between tradition and technology but also their own role in shaping, disrupting, and being shaped by the world around them.