Artist Milena Carbone has created something unique with her latest work, Portraits On Black Backgrounds. Dark, textured walls showcase portraits of people that seem almost hyper-real. The faces range in grace from hauntingly beautiful to grotesque, each countenance leaves a lasting impression that touches the soul.
What matters here isn’t where these faces come from, but where they take us. -Portraits On Black Backgrounds
These are the best of a series of 70 AI portraits and in her own words:
A few months ago I created a series of 70 portraits on black backgrounds. The selection I present here reflects on portraiture in art. In classical painting, portraits were always steeped in context – settings, symbols, narative. AI portraits have none of that, no roots, no stories. They rise from the void of algorithms, from a bland colorless darkness. Yet out of this blackness comes echoes of reality. Glimmers of the real, the faces, the postures, the details – they speak to our feelings, our cultures, they provoke emotions. What matters here isn’t where these faces come from, but where they take us.
And these faces that never were do indeed evoke emotions. They speak, shout even, forcing one to feel the hardship of lives that never knew struggle, laughter, or pride. The use of AI is polished and masterful. It does not feel lazy or superficial. Instead, each portrait feels original and authentic, with faces lined with the depth of experience and years of living.
In the end, Portraits On Black Backgrounds is a moving exhibition. It is an exquisite show and well worth a visit. Sit with these people for a while, you may find you’ll carry some of them away in your heart, long after you’ve left.
Visit: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Tears%20of%20Joy/49/193/3002
Web: THE CARBONE STUDIO
Nima Benoir
Virtual world Artist and author, owner of 19 in Secondlife