Carole Epp: Call for Ceramic Artists

I’m excited to announce a unique opportunity for ceramic artists to participate in a collaborative project with myself and Midjourney AI. This project aims to explore the intersection of traditional ceramic artistry and cutting-edge artificial intelligence, fostering a creative dialogue between human creativity and machine intelligence. There is no question that we all have ethical concerns about AI, but we must also appreciate that our world is already intrinsically linked to working with AI, in ways we don’t even realize yet. Over the last year I’ve been working with Midjourney as one tool out of many in a creative process and have found many ways in which it is enriching the ideas, aesthetics and art I produce. This project is intended as both a creative endeavor building critical dialogue, a community building initiative and a research project.

You don’t have to be sure about how you feel about AI and can be quite skeptical about it. Just need an open mind and some level of experience working in ceramics and having developed a line of work of your own. Open to anyone internationally.

Submission Guidelines:

Interested ceramic artists are invited to submit a link to their instagram feed along with a brief statement outlining why they are interest in the project.
Submissions should be uploaded by March 31st, 2024.
For inquiries or further information, please contact me at musingaboutmud@gmail.com

Timeline:

Call for submissions: Feb 17th – March 31st.
Artist selection: April 2024, notifications will be sent out mid month.
Creation of ceramic pieces: mid April to end of July 2024
Feedback loop and image rendering, follow up with artists, interviews with artists, working through research findings: August to November 2024
Exhibition/display of artworks: December 2024 onward [this will fall under another next phase of the project]

To apply please fill out this quick form

Project Overview:

As the project initiator, I will be using imagery of my own physical artwork and/or descriptive prompts about my art practice as a starting point, uploading imagery into Midjourney AI; a powerful AI platform capable of generating stunning renders and images. I will be creating artworks in collaboration with Midjourney to create AI ceramic works that are visually appealing, realistically rendered (ie: not so crazy that they couldn’t be made irl), conceptually and technically challenging, as well as rich in narrative. Participating artists will then select from approx 10 AI-generated images of ceramic pieces as inspiration to create real-world ceramic pieces. At this point participants will only have access to the images provided, not the prompts or original works that were uploaded. Transparency of this data will be shared with participants once they have completed their piece in the studio, so as to not influence their creative investigations beyond the image given. It’s important to note that artists are encouraged to interpret and be inspired by the AI-generated imagery rather than creating direct replicas. The same image may be chosen by numerous artists, leading to more layers of interesting discussions on originality in art.

Process:

Image Upload & AI Rendering: I will upload a collection of my original artwork images into Midjourney AI, which will generate a diverse range of renders and images.
Artist Selection & Inspiration: Participating ceramic artists will review the AI-generated images and select ones that resonate with their artistic vision.
Creation of Ceramic Pieces: Artists will then create ceramic pieces inspired by the selected AI-generated imagery, incorporating their own unique style and interpretation.
Feedback Loop: Once the ceramic pieces are created, I will capture images of these physical artworks and feed them back into Midjourney AI to generate another set of images, creating a continuous feedback loop between human creation and artificial intelligence.

Goals:

Explore the creative possibilities of combining human artistry with AI-generated imagery.
Foster collaboration and exchange of ideas among ceramic artists.
Push the boundaries of traditional ceramic art by integrating technology and digital artistry.

Projected outcomes for this project include:

1. Diverse Artistic Interpretations: Each participating artist’s interpretation of the AI-generated imagery will result in a diverse range of ceramic pieces, showcasing the breadth of creativity within the ceramic arts community.

2. Exploration of AI-Inspired Themes: Through the creation of ceramic artworks inspired by AI-generated imagery, the project may lead to the exploration of themes such as technology, digital culture, and the relationship between humans and machines.

3. Innovative Ceramic Techniques: Artists may experiment with new ceramic techniques and processes as they seek to translate digital imagery into physical ceramic forms, leading to innovative and boundary-pushing artworks.

4. Integration of Traditional and Modern Practices: The project will demonstrate the integration of traditional ceramic craftsmanship with modern technology, highlighting the intersection of traditional art forms with contemporary digital tools.

5. Public Engagement and Education: The exhibition or display of the resulting ceramic artworks could serve as a platform for public engagement and education, sparking discussions about the role of AI in the creative process and the evolving nature of art in the digital age.

6. Networking and Collaboration Opportunities: Participating artists may have the opportunity to network with one another, fostering collaboration and the exchange of ideas both within the project and beyond.

7. Artistic Growth and Development: Engaging with AI-generated imagery and participating in a collaborative project may stimulate artistic growth and development for the participating artists, encouraging them to explore new concepts and techniques in their practice.

Conclusion:

This collaborative project represents an exciting opportunity for ceramic artists to engage with AI technology and explore new avenues of creativity. By combining human intuition and artistic expression with the computational power of AI, we aim to create a dynamic dialogue between the realms of art and technology. I look forward to receiving your submissions and embarking on this creative journey together.

For transparency: At this stage of the project there isn’t any funding secured so participation in the project is based on the participants desire to be a part of the project for creative, professional and research based gains. At the time of this call for artists I am working on funding possibilities that would ideally provide some support to the artists for material purchase or for a future exhibition opportunity. This funding isn’t secured and isn’t guaranteed so please only apply if you are okay with the potential of this project not providing you an artist fee. As the project manager and lead artist I am also not being funded currently for this project either.

My Bio: Carole Epp is a Canadian ceramic artist, curator, writer, and community builder living and working in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Her studio practice centers dialogues about current political and social concerns through the lens of dismantling privileged social structures, art as activism, and the complexity of the human condition as narratives displayed on functional ceramics. Through illustration that captures the innocence of youth, nostalgia and the potential of hope, she addresses difficult topics through common everyday objects. Over the last year she has been working with AI to reimagine the potential of ceramic art; formally and conceptually in a digital space. A fierce advocate for the ceramics community, she was editor of Musing About Mud for 16 years, an online blog that showcases information, calls for entry, exhibitions and artist profiles related to the ceramic arts. She is the co-founder of Make and Do ceramics which is a Canadian collective focused on the promotion of Canadian ceramics internationally. In 2020, she co-authored The Encyclopedia of Inspiration: Ceramics (Profiles of Potters and Artisans) through Uppercase publishing. In 2021, she curated a major exhibition of 88 artists for the Ceramics Congress showcasing ceramics from across Canada to an international audience.

For inquiries or further information, please contact me at musingaboutmud@gmail.com