Unjoin: On the Raucous Edge of Stability

In mid-2022, Sarin’s artwork continues to evolve from semi-representational still imagery to abstract art, now expanding into movement and sound dimensions. For the latter, she commissioned a piece from Toronto-based composer Michael Galkin, who suggested the title “Unjoin.”As in opposite to “if you can’t beat them join them”. Her works becomes a manifesto of the contrarian rebellious artist who gradually becomes ambivalent about being called an AI Artist. A reaction to the misunderstanding of AI art based solely on prompt-based fantasy/surrealism, this work acts as an urgent manifesto to bring attention to the AI art as solidly grounded in the neural networks and their underlying aesthetics.

The animation was generated by iterating through a chain of AI models using Sarin’s landscape and black-and-white drawings. She uses deep blues and blacks, sharp and curvy patterns and shapes to play over the industrial/grunge drone of the drums; creating a sense of urgency and restlessness through pulsating visual and audio patterns. Visual rhythms of grid and pattern grasp at the neural entanglement but are cooled down by the pulsating beat and colour palette.

In this artwork, ‘the edge of stability’ symbolises a balancing act of creative exploration at the risk of losing the general audience, much like the balance between overfitting and underfitting in machine learning models – anything to escape being stuck in pleasing common minima. ‘Unjoin’ represents a moment of separation from convention, urging viewers to experience the raucous edge of stability.