🌊 Haven of Serenity

🏝 The sloths were generated with FLUX AI. The environment and some sloth details were created with Adobe Firefly. I spent quite a long time on it. I wanted it to be completely AI generated and that doesn't always do what it's supposed to.

🏗 Originally, when I generated it with FLUX, the sloths were in a kind of metal container in a mechanical setting. I gave the image some longing, warmth and fantasy, but also subtle contrasts.

Initial prompts: FLUX AI
Enhancement: Adobe Firefly AI

🕳 The Lone Shoveler 🕳

I generated the character with FLUX AI and then created a landscape using Adobe Firefly in Photoshop.

Mutagenic Sloth Clockwork 🕰🦥

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🐌 Lazily ceated with
🤖 AI image generator:

Initial prompts: FLUX AI

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With FLUX you can create very realistic images. Like many AI image generators, it still has a few small problems with the number of body parts. This has to do with the way it works, but progress is being made. Modern AI models are based on complex neural networks. These networks work on different levels of abstraction to recognize and combine patterns. The program does not count, but recognizes a probable pattern in the context of the specification and environment.

A few years ago I introduced you to Google's Deepdream. A neural network that hallucinated objects into images based on training data in several runs. The basic principle has remained essentially the same since then, although the underlying technology and the ability to generate more realistic images has developed considerably.

Modern AI models work iteratively to create increasingly realistic images by building on and refining previous results. In several runs - now with huge training data and a targeted context - more and more is 'hallucinated'. The limbs are partially shaped like a back, which is why it sometimes recognizes a sloth where there is actually a sloth arm.

Bioculture: While inspiration from biological systems played a role, technology has developed in a direction that goes far beyond what could be considered a direct replica of the nervous system. It is an exciting world full of unimagined possibilities.

Siblings playing in the forest 🦋🌲✨️

🐌 Lazily ceated with
🤖 AI image generator:

Initial prompts: FLUX AI
Enhancement: Adobe Firefly AI

Power of Deviation (2024)

Deviation or variation plays a central role in nature. Mathematical and physical structures, like circles and spirals, often arise from the interplay of forces and deviations from linear processes.

A circle, for example, results from a constant deviation from a straight line at a certain angle. A spiral extends this by showing a continuous change in radius, resulting from a consistent deviation in direction and distance from the center. These forms are mathematically intriguing and ubiquitous in nature - from planetary orbits to seashell patterns.

However, it’s important to recognize that our universe is not a fractal. A fractal shows self-similarity, with patterns repeating at every scale. If our universe were a perfect fractal, these patterns would be consistent across all levels. But reality is far more complex and less predictable. The universe exhibits immense diversity and irregularity, both in large-scale structures and smaller details. These irregularities appear in the distribution of galaxies, the structure of nebulae, and variations in the cosmic microwave background radiation.

These deviations and resulting structures show that the universe is dynamic and constantly in flux, with small changes leading to complex and often beautiful patterns. The absence of a fractal pattern in the universe highlights the importance of irregularities and deviations in shaping its structure and dynamics. This lack of uniformity is necessary for the emergence and evolution of structures in the cosmos.

Thus, the non-fractal nature of the universe supports the idea that irregularities and deviations are essential for the development and complexity of the cosmos. They enable structures to form, evolve, and diversify, making the universe a dynamic, living system in constant evolution. The true creativity and richness of the universe lie in these irregularities, allowing for new possibilities and ensuring that the cosmos is ever-changing and full of surprises.

Saying goodbye to my friends for my summer break! It's the perfect time. It's far too hot to do anything.

🌞🌞🌞🌞

Walks in the woods sound like a good idea to me.

Instagram's algorithms will let you all see this:
An excerpt from Intuition 🌿 (2023), color-enhanced.

😇

The Peace Linden 🌳

When I look into the canopy of leaves, my experience is intensified by the interplay of light and shadow, the rustling of leaves in the wind, and the vibrant hues that shift with the changing light. This sensory immersion creates a fuller, richer image in my mind than any photograph could ever capture. The movement within the thicket blurs the gaps a photo might capture, and the living space between the branches is filled with a sense of vitality due to the gas exchange and microclimates that contribute to the dynamic ecosystem.

The linden tree, with its deep cultural significance, ignites a cascade of thoughts and associations. This tree, revered as sacred and planted as a symbol of peace, is deeply woven into my cultural heritage. The sight of the linden tree evokes memories of ancient Germanic legends, intricately decorated old books, and the hero Siegfried. The unique shape of the linden leaf and the historical gatherings of Germanic tribes beneath its branches to make important decisions further enrich my perception.

This profound connection to the linden tree cannot be captured in a mere photograph. The image I seek must convey not just the visual beauty of the tree but also the powerful emotional and cultural resonance it holds for me. The photograph should aim to encapsulate the living essence of the tree, the depth of its historical significance, and the personal associations that make it so meaningful to me. Only then can it begin to approximate the powerful experience I describe.

Expressionist realism combines the accurate depiction of reality with subjective, emotional, and often intense expressions. When a photo is edited to capture not just the external appearance of the subject but also the deeper emotional and cultural meanings it holds for the viewer, it creates a connection between the real world and the inner world of the viewer, which is a central aim of expressionist realism.

Rudolf Kortokraks would have turned 96 today. He was an influential artist of expressive realism. The photo shows him playing with his cousin, my grandmother Gabriele (also a realist painter).

Recently his daughters became aware of me. Anna sent me this photo and I already knew it from my grandmother. I colored it and removed scratches.

He was a student of Oskar Kokoschka and later taught at the Summer Academy in Salzburg, which was founded by Kokoschka. Rudolf Kortokraks was associated with the "School of Seeing," also initiated by Kokoschka. This is an approach to art education that emphasizes direct observation and the intuitive grasp of reality.

Here are some of the core principles:

1. Direct Perception: Central to the philosophy is the ability to see and capture the visual world. Students are encouraged to develop their skills in observing the world around them with fresh eyes and to authentically depict what they see.

2. Emotional Experience: Alongside visual perception, emotional experience plays a crucial role. Art should not only represent what is seen but also convey the artist's inner feelings and reactions.

3. Individual Expression: The "School of Seeing" promotes personal style and individual expression. There are no rigid rules or prescribed styles; artists are encouraged to find their own paths and realize their own visions.

4. Intensive Nature Studies: Nature and reality are key sources of inspiration. A deep engagement with nature and a careful study of forms, colors, and light are central to the practice.

5. Holistic Learning: Art is seen as an integral part of human life and thought. Interdisciplinary approaches and the interplay of art with other areas of life are encouraged.

Catching fireflies in a maize field 🌌✨️

This image has a very high resolution. It consists of an enormous number of emotions per inch (epi).

It is the peace and warmth, the fragrant green and the abundance of blue that people strive for and the contrast between metropolis and countryside. It is identity and therefore an expression of myself.

The artistic element of a work is not measurable by algorithms. Algorithms can analyze technical aspects of an image, such as resolution, brightness, contrast, and even the content including certain emotional expressions. But the subjective and creative dimension that is the essence of art eludes quantitative analysis.

Artistic works are often characterized by personal interpretation, cultural context, emotional depth and individual experiences that are difficult to code and measure. The meaning and value of a work of art vary greatly between different viewers and contexts. What is deeply moving to one person may be uninteresting to another.

This subjectivity and individuality make art unique and special. Algorithms can assist and analyze, but they cannot fully capture or replace human creativity and subjective experience. Art therefore remains a field in which human perception and interpretation are indispensable.