Sep 7Afro-Improvisation & My Trip to Rio: Part 1In a couple of weeks I will be heading to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It will be the third and last in-person gathering for my Ford Global Fellowship cohort. Brazil (and South America) has been on my ‘bucket list’ for many years, a desire that was intensified when viewing the…Embodied Improvisation3 min readEmbodied Improvisation3 min read
Aug 31Romare Bearden, Mechanical Reproduction & Generative AIOne of my recent book cover art commissions was released by the author on social media (see below) and someone commented/asked whether or not the original artists were credited since it’s “AI Art”. Part of my response was to ask this question: Did Romare Bearden credit the original photographers in…Romare Bearden3 min readRomare Bearden3 min read
Aug 26Remixing Generative AI: From Sonic Collage to MidjourneyI once enrolled in an independent study course with sound artist and SAIC professor Shawn Decker. Shawn showed me how to chop up songs and loop the parts I liked. I recall enjoying the process of looping from songs such as Eric B & Rakim’s “I Know You…Remixing3 min readRemixing3 min read
Aug 18STEAM-H: Hip Hop & STEAM InnovationAs a high school student I loved listening to EPMD. When I became a PhD student a few decades later I learned about the improvisational methods they used to produce the songs I enjoyed. For example, their original demo…Hip Hop4 min readHip Hop4 min read
Aug 1150 Years of Hip Hop Told Using Generative AI ArtBefore it was a global movement, it was simply an expression of life and struggle: a culture that was synonymous with hardship and suffering, but also grit, resilience and creativity. — AP NewsHip Hop Culture3 min readHip Hop Culture3 min read
Jul 28Daughters of the Dust, Sister Lou & Generative AI ArtI saw “Daughters of the Dust” while I was an undergraduate computer art student at Pratt Institute. The subject matter, imagery, and the aesthetic of this ground-breaking film would later impact the way I used generative AI. Other “texts” such as…Julie Dash3 min readJulie Dash3 min read
Jul 6The Role of the Artist in Generative AIMy major in grad school was Art & Technology Studies but we were allowed to take courses in other departments, so I took an elective course titled Artist Techniques and Media. ATS focused on technological inquiry as both medium and subject. However, in the Artist Techniques…Prompt Engineering4 min readPrompt Engineering4 min read
Jun 14Black Music Month, AI & The Demographics of InnovationIn the late 1970s President Jimmy Carter declared that June would be Black Music Month to recognize the incredible influence that Black music has had on the United States and the world. I kicked off BMM with an AI-generated image of Robert Johnson, a Blues maverick whose recording career spanned…Black Music Month4 min readBlack Music Month4 min read
May 23Midjourney and the Science of ColorColor theory is both the science and art of using color. It explains how humans perceive color; and the visual effects of how colors mix, match or contrast with each other. Color theory also involves the messages colors communicate; and the methods used to replicate color. For example, teal is…Color Theory3 min readColor Theory3 min read
May 20Space as Algo-Rhythm: Situated & Embodied Interactions in MakingIn 1971 writer/critic Amiri Baraka envisioned more human-centered developments in technology. His essay “Technology & Ethos Vol. 2 Book of Life” inspired what became techno-vernacular creativity, a term I coined as a PhD candidate (and it’s the title of my first book). Baraka writes, The so called fine artist realizes…Maker Culture4 min readMaker Culture4 min read
