11mo

REZ-TAB-000

Rez Tabs, an AI-generated art collection that builds upon the concepts explored in my previous project, Nuxui. In this collection, I look at objects as worlds, devices, and landscapes—familiar yet infused with an alien quality. Everyday devices undergo a digital transformation, aging, degrading, and taking on sculptural forms, immaterial surfaces, and finishes. This collection serves as an antidote to the sterile aesthetics of consumer technology, drawing inspiration from the aesthetics and processes behind metal casting, ceramics, mass production, plastic moldings, and various manufacturing techniques.

The integration of AI in Rez Tabs, where "rez" refers to resolution and "tab" to tablet, provided me with an opportunity to extend beyond the level of detail and immersion achievable in my typical 3D-based work. The use of AI allowed for meticulous iterative control over surface details and forms while introducing unexpected artifacts within the constraints of my prompts.

AI is most powerful as an artist tool when it enhances existing artistic practices and opens doors to previously unattainable outcomes. In this project, the super-resolution expansion of upscaling algorithms played a pivotal role in realizing the concept of something simultaneously handheld and world-sized.

The process begins with a basic 3D render of a tablet or frame, illuminated by simple lighting to define its form—an initially hand-sized device. This image is then iteratively merged with other works and cross bred with img2img and reprocessed, upscaled, downscaled, remade until I find consistent forms.

The distinctive features of Rez Tabs, such as dripping, subtle color streaking, erosion, patina, and micro-landscapes, are inspired by Xookt, a fluid simulation based artwork of mine that has been refined and iterated to capture delicate surface details and vivid coloring.

Rez Tabs, marks the beginning of a small series comprising three separate works. Viewers can navigate through these works within a user-friendly web browser explorer, seamlessly zooming in and out to explore each image as both an object and a macro view of smaller sections. The interface includes an overlaid grid and cursor, mimicking the inspection of artifacts. High-resolution images are available for download, providing viewers with the option to obtain standard high-res copies for further exploration.