Daughters of the Dust, Sister Lou & Generative AI Art
I 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 Toni Morrison’s “Song of Solomon” and Kristin Hunter’s “The Soul Brother’s and Sister Lou” are also great references for me. These texts tell a story about my life as an artist and as a person.
“Daughters of the Dust” gained critical praise for its lush visuals, Gullah dialogue and non-linear storytelling. The origin of the word “Gullah” can be traced to the KiKongo language, spoken around the Congo River’s mouth from which the Gullah language dialects originate. Scholars suggest that it may be cognate with the name Kongo, where the ancestors of some of the Gullah people likely originated. “Daughters of the Dust” introduced me to the Kongo cosmogram, a core symbol in Bakongo (West/Central African) spirituality that depicts the physical world, the spiritual world, the Kalûnga line that runs between worlds, the sacred river that forms a circle through the two worlds, the four moments of the sun, and the four elements.
Nature and artifacts such as circles, fractals, and, of course, colors are all important aspects of my AI artwork. The diversity of women, especially Black women of the African Diaspora are heavily represented in the work. The women in my imagination are often very different from what I see in mainstream media. I think a lot of people who see the images respond strongly to this and largely in a positive way.
I refuse to stay trapped in someone else’s imagination. I need to engage my own imagination in order to break free.
When I was in Oakland, CA earlier this week I heard someone say this and it resonated with what I’m doing in the generative AI space. I also heard someone compare AI art to construction: Why use a handsaw when you can use a circular one? I see the value in using both but some tools go beyond their intended use. For artists using AI generators, the process begins with human imagination and thought. It can also end in Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. The second “Wanawake” image posted here is a Photoshop blending of Midjourney and Deep Dream Generator output.
I was determined to reimagine how we are on the screen… in a way that showed respect for my family and for the community from which I came. — Julie Dash
To be clear, I’m writing about my experiences, my inspirations and ways of knowing and working.. of being. I am an artist who uses computation as a method for making art. This has extended to generative AI. The resulting images are unique in that they merge what exists to create something new, which is at the heart of techno-vernacular creativity.