Art is creating, not tweaking someone else’s creation. Once upon a time I used to quilt by hand. Now people punch in codes on a computerized machine, and the machine does the stitching. Same with embroidery. Somehow that just doesn’t seem the same to me, having the machine do the work.
By the way, I love your sharp wit and your wonderful drawings. Keep being Ann Telnaes.
Sorry, nerding out here. These "tweaked" works are derivative works under the US Copyright Act. Permission from the owner of the original work is required. Otherwise, it's called stealing.
Ann, saw this when you first ran it. Superb. Especially the drafting table encounters and the Pastoral inspirations.
AI is merely BS: monetizing old data bases by calling all those pasts the future and wasting resources to do it…all so the simple minded can look oh so complex.
Richard Prince's (for instance Marlboro cowboys) and Jeff Koons' (for instance puppies) appropriations are financially exploitative appropriations. They continually face copyright lawsuits.
AI seems to be outright theft. Which was proceeded by other hi-tech piracy (of the work of journalists.)
Yes, Trump removed Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden because she is a Black woman. But he fired the head of the Copyright division because his tech bros want to eliminate copyright protections.
I think the KEY word here is, CREATE. I’m a serial commenter. I love to read the essays folks on Substack CREATE. Sometimes a repeat a line from an essay to make my comment point but I have not CREATED the thought, word, style, production, publication. I’m just a commenter on someone else’s CREATION. I think ART comes in many forms. You are the CREATOR of your art and I love it. And I appreciate how hard you work, too. And I, if I were you, be royally pissed if someone tweaked my thoughtful, well drawn cartoon. Keep strong and keep creating. All of us love you.💕😊
USers, as opposed to the EU and other countries, consistently ask me, "How long did it take you to sculpt this piece?" I answer, "All my life." They reiterate, "No, no. How LONG did it take you to make this piece?" I answer, "All my life." What they actually are wanting to know is ...how much do you make an hour or does the price of my work justify my hourly wage. It was infuriating. I have gotten it down to a swift answer, always the same with a blank stare. ai. Is taking a photo and popping it in the computer to generate a piece in the 3-D printer art? There are now companies popping up mostly of business men, I have noticed, that are generating these pieces in mass production. Susan Burges and you said it easily: the energy that comes from years of expériences good bad and the ugly, come directly from the heart, brain and out through the hands. No machine can conjure that deep privilege of being empty of a vision while banging your head and then through some pinhole comes that moment called Eureka!
AI is an imitation of humanity. Maybe faster and able to research more stored data but it can’t imagine. It is a conglomeration of algorithms and nothing more.
Scraping the Internet to summarize what's out there isn't "creative"; it's lazy and dishonest.
And there's another wrinkle. In the push to "publish or perish," a lot of questionable research has been published. As soon as it's in print, it's likely to be repeated on the Internet. Even if the print version is retracted by the publisher, there's no guarantee or even likelihood that it will be taken off the Internet as well. As with most things out there, they're there in some form TFN - whenever that is. And if AI goes out and scrapes that up with the rest of what it finds and it's been referenced one or more times, that's gonna be in the mix and could potentially affect it. "Oops!"
Wonderfully stated. And drawn. I guess that must be art. Thank you.
What Ann creates is truly Art! Thank you Ann
Your words are as powerful as your images. So well said!
Art is creating, not tweaking someone else’s creation. Once upon a time I used to quilt by hand. Now people punch in codes on a computerized machine, and the machine does the stitching. Same with embroidery. Somehow that just doesn’t seem the same to me, having the machine do the work.
By the way, I love your sharp wit and your wonderful drawings. Keep being Ann Telnaes.
The human hand is what adds the love.
And the human heart. AI has n feeling…
No feeling
anything machine made looks machine made.
. . . unless you’re someone who’s been raised to not be able to tell the difference.
Gad, that's sad.
Sorry, nerding out here. These "tweaked" works are derivative works under the US Copyright Act. Permission from the owner of the original work is required. Otherwise, it's called stealing.
You'll want to take a look at what the Trump Regime has is doing for copyright protection right this minute: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/12/trump-fires-copyright-office-shira-perlmutter?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
AI has no heart so it can’t be art…
Fantastic! What a wonderful creation!
Ann, saw this when you first ran it. Superb. Especially the drafting table encounters and the Pastoral inspirations.
AI is merely BS: monetizing old data bases by calling all those pasts the future and wasting resources to do it…all so the simple minded can look oh so complex.
AI is incapable of real learning, independent thought, growth and inspiration.
Doesn’t it have to start searching the data base over and over and over with each promt?
Variations on a theme?
Homage?
Appropriation?
Theft?
This is a complex question.
Tchaikovsky's 'Mozartiana is explicitly homage.
Richard Prince's (for instance Marlboro cowboys) and Jeff Koons' (for instance puppies) appropriations are financially exploitative appropriations. They continually face copyright lawsuits.
AI seems to be outright theft. Which was proceeded by other hi-tech piracy (of the work of journalists.)
Yes, Trump removed Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden because she is a Black woman. But he fired the head of the Copyright division because his tech bros want to eliminate copyright protections.
I think the KEY word here is, CREATE. I’m a serial commenter. I love to read the essays folks on Substack CREATE. Sometimes a repeat a line from an essay to make my comment point but I have not CREATED the thought, word, style, production, publication. I’m just a commenter on someone else’s CREATION. I think ART comes in many forms. You are the CREATOR of your art and I love it. And I appreciate how hard you work, too. And I, if I were you, be royally pissed if someone tweaked my thoughtful, well drawn cartoon. Keep strong and keep creating. All of us love you.💕😊
AI is to "art" as Trump is to "truth".
Best comment of the day, Mary G!
AI is to art as Trump is to art.
Perfect
USers, as opposed to the EU and other countries, consistently ask me, "How long did it take you to sculpt this piece?" I answer, "All my life." They reiterate, "No, no. How LONG did it take you to make this piece?" I answer, "All my life." What they actually are wanting to know is ...how much do you make an hour or does the price of my work justify my hourly wage. It was infuriating. I have gotten it down to a swift answer, always the same with a blank stare. ai. Is taking a photo and popping it in the computer to generate a piece in the 3-D printer art? There are now companies popping up mostly of business men, I have noticed, that are generating these pieces in mass production. Susan Burges and you said it easily: the energy that comes from years of expériences good bad and the ugly, come directly from the heart, brain and out through the hands. No machine can conjure that deep privilege of being empty of a vision while banging your head and then through some pinhole comes that moment called Eureka!
AI is an imitation of humanity. Maybe faster and able to research more stored data but it can’t imagine. It is a conglomeration of algorithms and nothing more.
Thank you. Better than an essay! Clarity and greater impact! You are the greatest!
Check out the definition of plagiarism.
Scraping the Internet to summarize what's out there isn't "creative"; it's lazy and dishonest.
And there's another wrinkle. In the push to "publish or perish," a lot of questionable research has been published. As soon as it's in print, it's likely to be repeated on the Internet. Even if the print version is retracted by the publisher, there's no guarantee or even likelihood that it will be taken off the Internet as well. As with most things out there, they're there in some form TFN - whenever that is. And if AI goes out and scrapes that up with the rest of what it finds and it's been referenced one or more times, that's gonna be in the mix and could potentially affect it. "Oops!"
Caveat plagiarizer, whatever the medium.
https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/guidance/skills/plagiarism#:~:text=The%20University%20defines%20plagiarism%20as,your%20work%20without%20full%20acknowledgement.
True wisdom is all about learning from your own mistakes - and those of others!
As a marquetry artist, I avoid copying and strive for original expressions. Ann’s illustrations of her creative process completely resonate with me.