The Art World is abubble and aghast that the upcoming Christie’s auction in New York (February 20, 2025) will offer many new paintings created by artificial intelligence (AI).
TheTimes of London reports that Christie’s has been “flooded with fury” from artists who are not being represented in the auction. Several have threatened to start a “Salon des refusés” or “Outsider Art” auction gallery in protest.
In actuality, the Art Community‘s reaction has been both extremely Pro and extremely Con! Those in favor of auctioning AI art say that these new methods of creation are no more radical or silly than most modern art trends in the past few decades, such as Abstract Expressionism or Pop Art.
The Salon of Refuse
“Surely, if Jackson Pollock drippings can be art, if Jeff Koons or Banksy or Keith Haring can be considered artists, then paintings made with AI must certainly be included,” comments Manhattan painter and cartoonist Iggy Hornsleth, who himself owns a personally signed Andy Warhol silkscreen print.
“End of the day, AI is just another medium, like moving from acrylics to gouache. Or copying from a photograph instead of live nature. It’s all valid art,” Hornsleth adds.
Christie’s Auction House is well known for being “inclusive,” displaying such controversial figures as “Banksy” on its website.
But just like those other radical art movements of recent years, AI has caused many critics and auctioneers to “circle the wagons” in opposition.
“This stuff will flood the market, dragging down prices and good judgment,” says Clement Feinberg, a leading art critic. “People have invested time and money in buying up valuable works by Mark Rothko and Bob Ross. I have purchased some myself. This isn’t like buying crypto, this is investment in the future.”
Another auction house, Sotheby’s, caused a frenzy last November when it sold its first-ever AI painting, entirely conceived and rendered by a robot.
“How Alan Turing Would Look if He Were a Woman Today” fetched over a million dollars at Sotheby’s last fall.
Author: Cooper Ward
Cooper Ward hails from Lake Plains, IL, which he describes as “the flattest place east of Nebraska.” He enjoys watching cooking shows and listening to semi-classical music.
