Synaptic Optic (2008)

A fictional / symbolic representation:

The green "flower" represents an algae in resemblance of a neuron. The spiral stands for light and transformation and acts here as a technical component. The wires reveal a neuron. The star-shaped one is the soma and the closed circle is the cell nucleus. The chain-like shape is the axon. Overall, the wire mesh is intended to represent a neuromorphic computer.

Neurons can be controlled optogenetically. Optogenetics is a method that allows neurons to be activated or inhibited by light. This is achieved by genetically introducing light-sensitive proteins into the neurons. The genes for this come from algae and bacteria.

When I created the picture, optogenetic techniques, where light is used to specifically activate neurons, made significant progress and opened new possibilities for controlling neural activity.

There were also major developments in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), with both non-invasive methods like EEG and invasive techniques such as implanted electrodes being refined to extract precise brain signals. Robots and other devices began using these signals to perform human-like movements or assist people with disabilities. Machine learning was increasingly used to decode these brainwaves and turn them into actionable commands. Artificial intelligence helped analyze neural patterns and translate them into actions, taking the interaction between humans and machines to a new level.

These advancements seemed no longer just futuristic but immediately achievable. The idea of merging human biology with technology was fascinating and offered a glimpse into a future that was already becoming a reality. Today, this topic remains a source of endless creative and technological possibilities, continuing to shape not only how we understand the world, but also how we interact with technology and how it is transforming our society and lives.

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🌹 Black Mirror: Talisman

The word talisman was borrowed in the 17th century from the Italian “talismano”, which comes from the Arabic طلسم / ṭillasm and means “magic image”. The Arabic word in turn can be traced back to the Middle Greek “τέλεσμα (télesma)”, which means “offering, consecrated object” or in Byzantine “magic object”.

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🌊 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

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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.

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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.

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“Inner Development”

Here artistic intent and unexpected influences merge. This work, originally intended as a print of a bare foot in dried and cracked paint, took a fascinating turn.

A vibrant palette of green and yellow tones, infused with traces of nature. It wasn't my hand, but beetles that found their way unnoticed that left their mark here. The original vision has been reinterpreted by nature, and the beetles' damage is now a powerful symbol of change and unpredictability.

In this unexpected collaboration I find an organic metaphor for metamorphosis and change. The traces of the beetle metamorphosis, as unintentional symbolism, tells a story of transformation and the unstoppable passage of time. Art and nature merge into a unique aesthetic fusion of planned creativity and spontaneous influences.

I consciously decided against the original footprint in order to preserve the traces of the beetles. This was not a defeat, but a choice that intensified the dialogue between art and chance. The work thus becomes a timeless testimony to the beauty that arises from the symbiosis of human creativity and the power of nature.

In ‘Inner Development’ we see, how the creative process goes beyond the boundaries of intention. The unintended elements are not mistakes but sources of inspiration. This work invites you to discover the beauty in the unexpected and experience the transformative power of art.

The painting is a 20cm x 20cm egg tempera on canvas. The beetles are drugstore beetles (Stegobium paniceum). These have gone through all stages of development inside the dried paint. I collected them and cleaned the painting. It was then disinfected in the oven and prepared with linseed oil varnish. What remains is a detailed landscape that tells a colorful story of life.

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Hold my hand.

My first attempt at making something artistic out of resin.
A lot has gone wrong, but the result is ok. It's my left hand that I made a negative imprint of with dentist silicone. The rest is by accident, because the imprint was not perfect and partially leaky. So the resin itself became creative. 😅

It's a present for someone who is going through tough times.

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This is Arsinoë after she stole my phone for a selfie and then misused the mirror effect and filters over filters, because she loves to summon demons in a creative way and now offers them very nice hosts 👍 via my Instagram account...

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That's how my painting looks now. I changed the title from "Terrarium Snake and Monarch Butterfly" to "Inside". That's an insssider.
❤️😉
It's almost complete. Later it gets a frame that represents a terrarium. Then, if sloth wills, it's finished.

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The most expensive pigeon of the world comes from my new home town Berlaar in Belgium. The racing bird "New Kim" was sold for 1.6 million euros. 🤑🕊️

🌴 With this lazy Windows Paint picture I remind all couch pigeon potatoes that they don't have to be sad. You are too valuable to be sold.😊 I would like to see your lazy pigeon paintings too. Just send me your work and I publish it here. Sloth life!! ✌️🙃

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