Beautiful Beasties: AI-Created Monsters in the Vivid Style of Fauvism

An AI monster with scary teeth in the style of Fauvist paintings.

Beautiful Beasties: AI-Created Monsters in the Vivid Style of Fauvism

Introduction

In the vibrant world of art, the “Beautiful Beasties” collection stands out as a unique and intriguing creation.

This remarkable collection showcases monsters, not as fearsome creatures of the night, but as stunning works of art, born from the marriage of Fauvism and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Fauvism, with its wild brushwork and non-naturalistic use of color, brings a bold and expressive dimension to these creations.

AI, on the other hand, provides the innovative twist, transforming traditional art with cutting-edge technology.

Together, they breathe life into the mythical and imaginary creatures we know as monsters, making them not only visually captivating but also deeply symbolic.

Join us as we explore this striking collection that harmoniously fuses the expressive style of Fauvism, the creativity of AI, and the timeless allure of monsters.

The cover of the Beautiful Beasties AI art book by Lauren McDonagh-Pereira.
Available on Amazon

Disclaimer

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ⓒ Lauren McDonagh-Pereira Photography 2013

Before we get into it, please consider a few quick DISCLAIMERS.

    • I am not a financial advisor, an art expert, a lawyer, or an accountant. Do your own research. 
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What is Fauvism?

Fauvism, a radical art movement that emerged in the early 20th century, is renowned for its vivid use of color and passionate, emotive brushwork. Characterized by its unrestrained use of bold, non-naturalistic colors, Fauvism challenges the traditional notions of color and form, embracing a more spontaneous and subjective representation of the world.

The brushwork is similarly expressive, with artists using strong, assertive strokes to create a sense of movement and energy in their works.

Leading the charge in this revolutionary movement were artists like Henri Matisse and André Derain, who became known as the “wild beasts” or “fauves” in French, a moniker that eventually gave the movement its name.

Their daring use of color and freeform techniques rejected the conventional and academic art standards of their time.

Fauvism left a lasting impact on the art world, serving as a precursor to subsequent avant-garde movements, such as Expressionism and Abstract Expressionism.

It shattered the established norms of artistic representation, emphasizing the subjective and emotional aspects of art. In doing so, Fauvism expanded the boundaries of artistic expression and paved the way for more individualistic and expressive styles, creating a legacy that continues to inspire artists to this day.

The Emergence of AI Art

Artificial Intelligence (AI) art, or AI-generated art, refers to the use of AI technologies, particularly machine learning and neural networks, to create artworks. The process typically involves training AI models on a vast collection of images, including photographs, paintings, and other visual media.

The AI system then uses the patterns and features it has learned to generate new and unique artworks.

This approach, known as generative art, allows AI systems to create novel images that reflect the style, technique, and even emotion of the training data.

The potential of AI art is vast and exciting. It offers a new approach to artistic creation, democratizing art by making it accessible to those without traditional art skills.

AI art also opens up new possibilities for collaboration between human and machine, fostering the development of innovative and unexpected artistic styles.

Furthermore, AI can generate art quickly and in large volumes, making it an invaluable tool for artists and creators looking to explore new ideas rapidly.

However, AI art is not without its challenges. One significant issue is the question of originality and authorship. AI-generated art is often criticized for being derivative, as the AI system essentially learns from existing artworks to create new ones.

Additionally, there’s the ethical concern of using others’ art as training data without their explicit consent. The lack of human intuition and emotion in AI art has also been a point of contention, with critics arguing that true artistry requires a personal and emotional connection that machines cannot replicate.

Despite these challenges, AI art has achieved several noteworthy successes. For example, the AI-generated portrait “Edmond de Belamy” sold for $432,500 at Christie’s auction house, sparking a discussion on the value of AI art.

The rise of AI art has far-reaching implications for the art world. It invites us to rethink traditional notions of creativity, authorship, and artistic value. As AI technology continues to evolve and improve, AI-generated art will undoubtedly play an increasingly prominent role in the art world, shaping the way we create, appreciate, and understand art.

Monsters and Beasts in Human Culture

Monsters and beasts have been a central part of human culture since ancient times, capturing our imaginations through folklore, mythology, literature, and art.

They are often depicted as otherworldly beings, straddling the line between the familiar and the unknown.

The history of monsters and beasts can be traced back to ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece.

Ancient myths often feature creatures like the Minotaur, Sphinx, and Chimera, which are hybrids of animals and humans. These creatures were frequently associated with chaos, destruction, and moral lessons, embodying the fears and anxieties of the people who created them. 

Monsters and beasts also serve as representations of human desires, embodying traits that are usually suppressed or hidden in society. For example, werewolves and vampires, popular in European folklore and literature, symbolize the wild, primal, and forbidden aspects of human nature, reflecting society’s struggle with its own darker impulses. 

These creatures often represent the unknown and the mysterious. They are typically portrayed as beings that defy explanation and categorization, reflecting our collective curiosity and fear of the unexplored and the unexplained. This is evident in the tales of sea monsters, like the Kraken, which symbolize the vast and unpredictable nature of the oceans, a source of both wonder and terror for sailors and explorers. 

Throughout art history, monsters and beasts have been depicted in various ways, often reflecting the cultural and historical context in which they were created.

In medieval art, for instance, monsters were often used to illustrate the unknown and the dangerous, emphasizing the contrast between the civilized and the wild. In more recent times, artists like Francisco Goya and Salvador Dalí have used monsters to convey the horror and absurdity of war, political corruption, and human cruelty.

Monsters and beasts in art serve as a mirror to the human condition, reflecting our fears, desires, and curiosity. They embody the complexities of our emotions, capturing the inherent tension between the known and the unknown, the civilized and the wild, the rational and the irrational.

The cover of the Beautiful Beasties AI art book by Lauren McDonagh-Pereira.
Buy the Book on Amazon

The "Beautiful Beasties"

The “Beautiful Beasties” collection was born out of my quest to deeply understand AI art, and my life-long fascination with macabre art

It started when I experimented with using different terms and genres from art history to create a wide variety of AI ballerinas

During this exploration, I discovered that I loved the style of Fauvist paintings. I had seen Matisse’s work before, but I hadn’t had the background knowledge necessary to put a name to the art style that I found so compelling. 

I immediately started learning everything that I could about the history of the art style so that I could understand why my own brain finds it so glorious and compelling. 

At the same time, I was using AI-art to create a series of horror coloring books for adults, titled “Creepy Coloring Pages for Creepy People“. 

For “Bestial Bloodlines” I created an alphabetized list of monsters from different cultures and traditions to turn into adult coloring pages. 

After I created the black and white coloring book images, I wondered how these monsters would look, if I used the same detailed prompts, but asked Midjourney to create scenes in the style of Fauvism instead. 

The first few results absolutely blew me away and I became obsessed with perfecting these gorgeous and gruesome works of AI art. And thus, Beautiful Beasties was born. 

The Beautiful Beasties

Maelstrom of Malevolence

Turbulence of Terror

Beautiful Beasties - The Book

The cover of the Beautiful Beasties AI art book by Lauren McDonagh-Pereira.

Conclusion

The “Beautiful Beasties” collection combines the passionate and vivid brushwork of Fauvism with the innovation of AI-generated art, all centered around the timeless allure of monsters.

This fusion brings together various elements from different domains, creating something wholly unique and thought-provoking. The monsters in this collection are transformed from mere creatures of mythology and folklore into symbol-laden representations of human emotions, experiences, and imagination.

As you explore the “Beautiful Beasties” collection, you are invited to immerse yourself in the vibrant colors, expressive strokes, and intriguing AI-generated designs. Ponder on the rich history of monsters and beasts in human culture, their significance in representing our fears, desires, and the unknown. Reflect on the interplay between Fauvism’s wild and unrestrained style, AI’s innovative approach to art, and the enduring appeal of monsters.

The “Beautiful Beasties” collection offers a fresh perspective on the world of art, blending tradition with modernity, technology with emotion, and the familiar with the unknown.

It beckons us to explore the boundaries of artistic expression and invites us to see monsters through a different lens – not as fearsome creatures, but as captivating embodiments of our collective imagination and creativity.

Don’t miss this opportunity to explore this unique collection and the many layers of meaning it holds.

The collection is available for viewing and acquisition in various formats, providing you with the opportunity to appreciate and own a piece of this unique art.

For those interested in digital ownership, the “Beautiful Beasties” are available as Tezos NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), offering you a unique and secure way to own a digital version of the artwork.

If you prefer a physical representation of the art, high-quality prints of the collection are available at nftartwithlauren.com.

For a more comprehensive experience, you can explore the entire collection in an art book available on Amazon.

The “Beautiful Beasties” collection invites you on a journey through color, form, and imagination. 

I encourage you to share your thoughts and impressions in the comments section of the blog post. Your insights and perspectives will enrich the conversation around this unique collection.

Please share this blog post on your social media channels, and invite others to explore the beauty and symbolism of the “Beautiful Beasties” collection. Your support and sharing help bring these incredible creations to a wider audience and ignite a conversation around the fascinating intersection of Fauvism, AI art, and the enduring cultural significance of monsters and beasts.

Explore, enjoy, and share the wonder of the “Beautiful Beasties” collection today.

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Sincerely,
Lauren McDonagh-Pereira

More to explore

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MEET Lauren McDonagh-Pereira

Lauren McDonagh-Pereira is a photographer from Massachusetts, USA. She captures the beauty of the world around her, favoring Nikon cameras and lenses. She is drawn to shooting landscapes, wildlife, nature, and people authentically enjoying life.