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canmom · 2 years

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Yes, what 'AI art' promises to do is something that has happened many times before in capitalism. Even in the 'art industry', we've seen technology all but do away with entire lines of work, such as the illustration styles that withered after photography proved to better serve the needs of advertisers and clients who wanted a realistic likeness.

And it sucked for those illustrators. Maybe not the well established ones, but the ones who had hoped to enter that industry. Just as it sucked for the textile industry workers when the mechanical loom appeared.

Trying to suppress AI art through legal means may be a strategy with little chance of success and high potential for collateral damage. The Luddites found that machine-breaking proved an ineffective strategy (edit: because the government killed them), the miners of Wales were not able to stop Thatcher closing the pits and importing materials (edit: because the government beat the shit out of them). But to treat workers - in one of the few lines of work to still offer any sort of intrinsic fulfilment, at least in theory - who may be responding in a knee-jerk way to an impending threat to their ability to continue that practice and possibly survive at all, with scorn and derision? To justify that with Marx? Come off it.

Certainly, sure, the real enemy was capitalism all along. If AI were never invented, art would still be a precarious industry where you have to work stupidly hard on a speculative basis to even get a chance to get a foot in the door. An industry valuing predictability would still prefer to elevate bland, repetitive artwork; it would still push the chosen few artists who make it and get jobs to work themselves into an early death; we would still be faced with the implications of turning creation into 'content' in a social media feed. In a less precarious world, one where artists were free to pursue our practices with ample support and no fear of not making rent if there's a bad month, AI image generators would not even be a concern.

But we don't live in that world and I have no idea how to bring it closer. There isn't a 'start the revolution' button I can just press if I don't like my lot under capitalism.

What AI promises to do, what its proponents claim, really is to make everything worse in this industry. AI has many limitations compared to a human artist, but that doesn't matter for doing damage. For the employed artist, the threat of AI is going to become a similar labour discipline tool as the threat of outsourcing to a country where labour is cheaper, or the threat of installing robot tills in retail. "Don't make too much of a fuss, we can replace you." It doesn't matter if it isn't entirely true, it's another cudgel against labour organising.

In the already often miserably exploitative world of small scale illustration commissions which many artists use to support themselves while learning? Now you don't just have to compete against Fiverr's race to the bottom. The good chaps at Silicon Valley have helpfully built an obedient data centre than can do a 'good enough' job for many clients even faster and cheaper, that never gets tired. You'd better hope you have a loyal audience already, or else the independent income and exec function to work on art as a hobby on top of everything else you need to do to get by. Illustration commissions is already a pretty saturated market, turning something that ought to be a dream job into a grind. So... let's add more pressure, eh?

Worse, a lack of realistic routes to learn will likely ripple on up, similar to how the miserable conditions and high attrition of inbetweeners in anime led to a situation where there aren't enough key animators, so the industry increasingly draws from self-taught hobbyists and relies on a limited pool of overworked sakkans to paper over the gaps caused by their lack of training.

None of these problems are unique to AI. But they're all going to be made worse by it. And obviously people are going to be afraid of that coming, before we know how it will all shake out for sure. That's not a stupid reaction.

The argument over what is Real Art(TM) may be corny, but it reflects the fact that for most of us trying to make art, it is not nearly so fulfilling to type prompts into a computer and pick your favourite result as it is to draw on your own visual library and experiences and understanding of light and form and symbols and shape and etc., to go through the meditative process of solving the problems of the drawing yourself, to get the satisfaction of 'omg I made that' at the end. I'm sure creating the AI system in the first place had that sort of fulfilment for its programmers, but using it is to be a curator more than a creator, or at least to shift the creativity into coming up with combinations of keywords rather than directly making pictures, and that just doesn't grab me in the same way at all. If people enjoy it that's genuinely great for them, but I don't think very many people who set out to be an artist would get the same satisfaction out of typing prompts. It's not something we wanted automated. (Perhaps we could compare it to creating an aimbot for an FPS game.)

But that's a fairly tricky thing to articulate, so it is not surprising that it gets mixed up in ideology like 'artiness is proportional to hours spent'. Unfortunate, but that doesn't make the intuitive alarm signal misplaced. If AI art can find a niche as just another tool for expression, great, I'll shut up - but if it becomes a widespread sentiment of 'why are you wasting your time painting, just let the AI do it', we've lost something valuable. 'We want to replace artists' is the explicit sentiment of many of the AI's creators and proponents, so it's not like this is a baseless fear.

Trying to develop an art practice under capitalism is always a pretty awkward bargain at best. AI won't destroy the drives that lead us to make art, and won't do much to liberate us either. My hope is that it will become an easily ignored sideshow to the kinds of art I like; my fear is that this is only the beginning of its impact and a lot that's valuable will be lost in the chaos.

Did photography 'liberate' illustration? It's true that after the demise of the realist painting of Loomis's generation, new forms of illustration arose: scifi and fantasy illustration, many kinds of stylised illustration. But idk, that argument feels weird - if you cut down a tree to build a house where it used to stand, and a new tree grows nearby, is that liberating trees? It's hard to put any valence on that. In any case, AI proponents are trying for a fully general replacement to all types of illustration, including potential new ones. (Perhaps that's nothing more than tech cult hype; at the moment its stylistic repertoire is more limited.)

And perhaps we might expect, as capitalism continues to throw off labour without much hope of new industries arising to absorb it, that there will come a point where the balance tips and for better or worse, a vast social transformation unfolds suddenly and unexpectedly.

Would be nice if I can live long enough to see it.

Living off commissions is already proving not viable for me, regardless of AI - so I'm training to go into a different creative industry (game dev) where there's more demand in the present era, and I'll have to develop visual art more slowly, with whatever energy and executive function I can spare. I hope I will enjoy working in game dev, and I'm lucky to have skills that even make it an option, but I don't love that I have to make that decision based on what can keep a roof overhead and not on what I most want to spend my time learning to make. And I can only imagine the feeling of someone who found a seemingly stable niche doing something they truly enjoy, and now face getting thrown back into this corner.

The AI problem may just be a symptom of capitalism, but that just makes it less tractable. It may be 'just a tool', but that tool is embedded in a whole mess of social relations. Who runs the AI, who stands to benefit? Better to articulate a critique of AI-in-capitalism that navigates around the blind alleys than to cast scorn on people reaching for the first way out they can see to a genuinely bleak situation.

#ai art #to add more trash to the gyre

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seeking-knowledge · 2 years

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here are the first assignments for my course in science illustration (with vectors!).

turns out that we are all going to work on the same topic for the assignments and the project, because the course includes data visualization, so the teacher decided it was best if we focused on the visualization part and used the data he already has for a specific topic, instead of having us research more. the topic is pollution in the ocean.

for the first part we had to download a world map from the site vemaps.com, color or point out Philippines somehow, and add that text with info about ocean pollution. he also asked to point out the Ocean Gyres. each is a vortex in the ocean where trash can be dragged by currents and it just gets stuck there.

I didn’t know how to add the explanation about the gyres, but i guess it’s fine. it looked weirder if it was just in a white box floating around.

the second part was to trace an illustration of an animal’s anatomy. the two options were a shrimp and a mouse’s skeleton. i think the first was way easier, so i chose that one. he gave us this heavily pixelated image and we just had to trace the lines. i had to look for many references, though it wasn’t necessary to label everything, so i skipped some labels. (tap on them to compare the quality)

the point of these exercises was to get familiar with adobe illustrator, but i use inkscape and i’m already very familiar with it, so i had fun! although i’m sure illustrator has a lot of advantages to draw those curves with less effort and time, but i am doing what i can for now. i’m still learning new cool things about inkscape that i never guessed! and also i now know some shrimp anatomy which.. is fun, too, i guess lol.

i’m looking forward to the following classes and assignments ^-^

#science illustration #studyblr #uni experience

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npr · 6 years

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When a huge floating gyre of plastic waste was discovered in the Pacific in the late 1980s, people were shocked. When whales died and washed ashore with stomachs full of plastic, people were horrified. When photographs of beaches under knee-deep carpets of plastic trash were published, people were disgusted.

Though some of it came from ships, most, presumably, was from land. But how much was coming from where?

No one really knew until 2015. That's when Jenna Jambeck, an environmental engineer at the University of Georgia, did the math. Her groundbreaking study suggested there was hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of times as much plastic washing into the sea as people were seeing in those ocean gyres.

Jambeck's findings helped galvanize a worldwide movement to stop plastic pollution.

She worked with a team of scientists at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis in California to find the sources of all that plastic. Their seminal paper, published in 2015 in the journal Science, produced new information and astounding numbers.

Most of the trash along beaches and in the ocean is single-use plastic, Jambeck says — cigarette butts, grocery bags, bottles and caps, straws, utensils and packaging. Historically, most of it has been produced in the West, but China is now the top producer, and exporter of plastic goods.

Many countries, including the U.S., contribute plastic pollution, and it all adds up. For example, in 2010 alone (the year's worth of data that Jambeck's Science study was based on), a total of 8 million metric tons of plastic entered the world's oceans.

The research made a big splash. In 2017, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee invited Jambeck to testify about the problem.

Holding up a bag full of plastic trash, she explained to the senators that 8 million metric tons of plastic is equal to "a volume of five grocery-sized bags filled with plastic for every foot of coastline in the world."

She predicts the "8 million" could be 10 times as large by 2025, if current trends continue. Half of the waste comes from China, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. (Note: Though Vietnam puts nearly as much plastic into the ocean per person as China does, the Chinese population is so much greater than Vietnam's that China's overall contribution to total plastic in the ocean is much larger).

All these countries have growing consumer economies and haven't yet developed widespread and efficient methods of waste management. And they have lots of ocean-facing shoreline.

Research shows that the population density along the shoreline largely determines how much trash winds up in the ocean there: more people, more trash.

We're Drowning In Plastic Trash. Jenna Jambeck Wants To Save Us

Graphic: Vanessa Qian/NPR

#plastic #NPR #Environment #trash #data #data visualization #long read

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vansypencil · 3 years

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Ocean Pollution 4

1. MIDWAY: A message from Gyre – Chris Jordan (2009- Current)

Indeed, there is nothing more obvious and evident compared to real images and recorded documents. Chris Jordan has spent his life and career dedicated to bring the dire consequence of our consumerism and its impact on our environment. He is known as a photographer, artist and film producer based in Washington DC. In 2009, he revealed to the world a series of terrifying images of albatross birds in the Midway Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. He told the story of birds hauntingly and emotionally, said Phillips (2015). The pictures are about dead and decaying remains of the species. Their body laid on the ground, skeleton exposed, stomach full of plastic pieces as they mistook the trash as real food.

By collecting thrown-away waste, the artists, with their dedicated hearts and ideals, add value and life to inanimate objects. What they are actually doing is making people put attention to it and make us think.

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kajeeyearwithirene-blog · 6 years

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The Life Cycle of Plastic Bottles & Shoes

Why is Recycling important?

Recycling is very important as waste has a huge negative impact on the natural environment. Harmful chemicals and greenhouse gasses are released from rubbish in landfill sites. Recycling helps to reduce the pollution caused by waste. Recycling reduces the need for raw materials so that the rainforests can be preserved.

What are disposable plastics?

Single-use plastics, or disposable plastics, are used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. These items are things like plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles and most food packaging. roughly 300 million tons of plastic each year and half of it is disposable! Worldwide only 10-13% of plastic items are recycled. The nature of petroleum-based disposable plastic makes it difficult to recycle and they have to add new virgin materials and chemicals to it to do so. Additionally, there are a limited number of items that recycled plastic can be used.

What countries have the lowest/highest rate of recycling?

Germany has the best recycling rate in the world. Austria comes in second, followed by South Korea and Wales. All four countries manage to recycle between 52% and 56% of their municipal waste. Switzerland, in fifth place, recycles almost half of its municipal waste. According to Eunomia, the environmental consultancy that compiled the report, these countries all have in common government policies that encourage recycling, such as making it easy for households to recycle waste; good funding for recycling; and financial incentives. They also set clear performance targets and policy objectives for local governments. Some countries, such as Wales, have ambitious recycling targets. Wales aims to achieve zero waste by 2050, and the EU is looking at adopting a new target for 2030, thought to be at least 65%.

And as the chart below shows, countries’ reported recycling rates are much higher than in the first league table which Eunomia adapted to take into account the various ways in which recycling is measured.

How does the UK dispose of plastics?

Dry recyclables are either made at the kerbside by putting different materials into different sections on a truck or where people have a mixed recycling bin, collected mixed together and taken to one of the Materials Recycling Facilities in London where they are sorted into different materials such as paper, glass, plastic and metal. After sorting by either of the techniques, the materials are then taken to reprocessors, where they are recycled and made into new products.

What is being done to increase the rate of recycling?

Some councils are using creative ideas in order to boost household recycling. From making food waste be collected more often, to mechanically sifting black bags to recycle their contents, to knocking on doors of those who throw their rubbish away instead of recycling. Some councils are managing to really reduce what goes to landfill.

How are plastic Shoes made?

The German sportswear giant (Adidas) launched last year three new versions of its UltraBoost shoe made out of plastic found in the ocean. It teamed up with environmental initiative Parley for the Oceans to create the shoe. Each pair of shoes reuses 11 plastic bottles.

An estimated 8 million metrics tons of plastic trash ends up in our oceans every year. The ocean currents have formed five gigantic, slow-moving whirlpools where the plastic collects, called gyres. Most of the plastic debris sinks or remains in the gyres, however, a significant percentage of it washes onto our coastlines daily.

If we fail to clean up the plastic and stop the continued pollution of the oceans, we are facing the potential extinction of many sea life species and the interruption of the entire ecosystem. We also risk the health of anyone who eats seafood.

REFRENCE:

http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/importance.html

http://www.plasticfreechallenge.org/what-is-single-use-plastic

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/12/germany-recycles-more-than-any-other-country/

http://www.wiseuptowaste.org.uk/recycle/what-happens-to-my-recycling/

https://www.parley.tv/oceanplastic#join-the-movement-1

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sdconnection-blog · 7 years

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By Joyell Nevins

EarthFair organizers offer myriad ways to keep our planet alive

Be a part of the solution, not the problem — and not the complaint.

The parade is one of the most popular events of the day, both for viewers and participants. (Courtesy EarthFair)

The 28th annual EarthFair organizers are encouraging everyone to get involved and care for the earth they live on with the theme, “Be a Solution!” The fair will be held Saturday, April 23, from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. in Balboa Park.

More than 50,000 spectators, 350 volunteers and 300-plus exhibitors make this event the largest, free Earth Day Festival in the nation. But despite the massive amount of people involved, there is one core theme running through.

“They’re all trying to do something to better the environment,” said EarthFair co-founder Carolyn Chase.

The fair is the brainchild — and labor of love — for both Chase and her husband Chris Klein. It started when she was new to the area and trying to find an environmental group to get involved in. Chase grew up with a mother who gardened and a father who instilled a real love of nature in her from a young age.

Founders and environmental activists Carolyn Chase and her husband Chris Klein at the festival (Courtesy EarthFair)

But before the days of the internet, it was harder to research who was doing what in a new city. So she and Klein decided to put together a small fair to allow many groups to introduce themselves to people looking for a way to help.

“Different groups have different cultures, a different way they make a difference,” Chase said. “This [fair] is a big tent idea — a way to connect.”

That small fair has grown into a massive event, showcasing between 300-400 nonprofits, businesses and agencies every year.

Exhibitors include traditional conservation organizations, wildlife preservation groups, organic gardeners, and groups that offer ecotourism opportunities, pet adoption services, and many alternative health products and services.

The fair is divided into themed areas such as eHome, making your environment more sustainable; eARTth Gallery with earth-friendly arts and crafts; Reuse & Repair, learning how to reduce waste; and a vegetarian Food Pavilion.

New this year is a specifically themed climate science area. Enjoy giveaways, interactive exhibits, raffles … you can even sit inside a “cleaner car” at the concourse.

“No matter where you start, there are many ways to make a difference and they add up,” Klein said. “The EarthFair is a place to discover on one day how to make a difference the rest of the year.”

EarthFair kicks off with a parade showcasing many of these themes and groups. There will be people with signs, costumes and face paint, all displaying their passion for their cause and the environment.

Puppet Insurgency will be walking with a 20-foot informative pipeline and their continued efforts to “Heal the Gyres.” A gyre is a vortex of winds and currents that ends up collecting much of the plastic and trash thrown in the ocean.

According to the Environmental Cleanup Coalition, an estimated 11 million tons of floating plastic covers an area of nearly 5 million square miles in the Pacific Ocean, 700 miles northeast of the Hawaiian Island chain and 1,000 miles from the coast of California.

The Earth Day Parade is welcome to all ages and species. It starts at 10:30 a.m. by the Spanish Village and marches through the park to the Children’s Area in Pan American Plaza. Participants are invited to dress up as endangered species and present their favorite earth-friendly messages.

“It’s one of the funnest parts of the fair,” Chase said of the parade.

Registration is not required for the parade, but Chase notes it is appreciated for planning purposes.

In keeping with its mission, EarthFair strives to be a zero waste event, meaning that everything discarded is either recycled, reused or composted.

They have 30 “Zero Waste” stations set up throughout the park with bins for waste, recycle and compost. A “Trash Talker” is posted at each station to make sure your discards go in the right bin and answer any of your recycling questions.

In 2015, out of four tons of trash, two of those tons were recycled and one ton was composted, and 500 pounds of food was recovered for homeless shelters. Last year, 90 percent of the waste was reused in some way.

The whole event could not exist without the help of a team of volunteers. Along with the hundreds of volunteers on the day of, there are almost 40 team leaders who have been working with Chase and Klein for the last three to 28 years.

“This core set of people is what make it happen,” Chase said.

She emphasized however, that volunteers for the day itself are still needed. All that’s required is to attend one training session on either April 15 or April 21.

Also on the website are ideas for alternative parking, as there are almost no car parking spots by the park by the fair’s start time. Ride your bicycle and you can reduce your carbon footprint and enjoy free valet bicycle parking.

To learn more about EarthFair or to volunteer, visit earthdayweb.org or call 858-272-7370.

—Freelance writer Joyell Nevins can be reached at [email protected]. You can also reach her blog Small World, Big God at swbgblog.wordpress.com.

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Original Article Provided By: SanDiegoDowntownNews.com Love your mother By Joyell Nevins EarthFair organizers offer myriad ways to keep our planet alive Be a part of the solution, not the problem — and not the complaint.

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