1
ISSN: XXXX-XXXX SPECIAL ISSUE 2025
This work is licensed under an Aribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license.
AN EXPERIMENTAL TRIO
Aidan McPhee
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Thompson Rivers University (Expected 2026)
This special issue of Future Earth Journal:
Explorations in Art and Generative AI showcases
the work of visual art students from the Fall 2024
Selected Topics course Explorations in Art and AI.
Each featured artist engaged with generative artifi-
cial intelligence (Gen AI) to create original artworks
that respond to and reflect on current conversa-
tions in art and technology. Through their unique
practices, these students explored Gen AI as a tool,
a collaborator, and/or a conceptual influence.
The artworks featured here—and in the exhibi-
tion held at the TRU Art Gallery from March 17–29,
2025—highlight the cultural, ethical, environmental,
and creative dimensions of using Gen AI in artistic
production.
Aidan McPhee is one of the participating art-
ists whose work exemplifies this exploration.
AI Tool: ChatGPT
Figure 1. An Experimental Trio [1] (2024) by Aidan McPhee.
Acrylic on canvas, 24” × 36” (Image credit: Nicole Favron)
Figure 2. An Experimental Trio [2] (2024) by Aidan McPhee. Acryl-
ic on canvas, 24” × 36” (Image credit: Nicole Favron)
2
ARTIST STATEMENT
In my project I set out to challenge the ide-
ology of certain AI artists. While I believe
my values hold strong in the finale, part of
the project was to ask what other people
thought of my own ideology. Could I have
let my own ego get the beer of me, and
bring my own skills into question? Aer
viewing my work and my statement I hope
you will have reached a conclusion.
I used AI to generate my colour palees for a
series of 3 paintings. I combined this with my inter-
est in geometric landscape painting. I stuck to what
I know during the process. Layering shapes while
using tape to create edges. This has been a part of
my artistic process for a few months now and it has
really engaged me in finding new ways to innovate
my own art.
I mentioned that I wanted to challenge the
ideology of certain AI artists, without mentioning
names, I was particularly critical of someone who
believed that AI was the only entity that could
complete their vision, and that their own brain was
insucient. I disagreed, stating that our own brains
could complete our vision of what was desired.
Albeit much slower than what an AI could produce.
I further state that if the AI is the one creating “your”
vision, is it really yours.
Reference Photos and Colour Palee
For the technical aspects of my paintings, I had
a few issues. The first and most prominent issue I
faced was my own critiques of my art during the
process. Mainly with the colours the AI generated
for me to use. I hated the mix of colours I was using,
and I hated the lack of cohesion. It took me a while
before I was able to embrace them and accept that
this was the point of my project. The other issues
were financial, I had stated in my proposal that I
wanted the paintings to be 6x6 feet, I encountered
financial challenges during the process and could
not aord to go that large. As such I had to compro-
mise a lile. For the same reasons, my works are
in acrylic, and I had not incorporated oil paint into
the final layers as I had originally wanted to. That
said, I don’t believe it has caused my project to be
compromised in any way regarding my work’s quality.
Process
As a critique of AI artist Daniel Ambrosi’s work,
which employs generative AI to produce a final
painting-like work from his photographs, Aidan
created his own paintings based on photographs.
Aidan used CHAT-GPT to interpret his photographs
and to assign the photograph a colour palee. He
then used those images and the colour palees as
references for his paintings.
Figure 3. An Experimental Trio [3] (2024) by Aidan McPhee. Acryl-
ic on canvas, 24” × 36” (Image credit: Nicole Favron)
3
Figure 6. Pumpkin Patch, Reference photo #3 (Image credit:
Aidan McPhee)
Figure 7. River, Reference photo #4 (Image credit: Aidan
McPhee)
Figure 4. Colour Palees,#1–3 generated by Chat-GPT
Figure 5. Northern Light Thing, Reference photo #2 (Image credit:
Aidan McPhee)
4
Figure 8. An Experimental Trio [exhibit installation] (2024) by Aidan McPhee. Acrylic on canvas, 24” × 36” (Photo credit: Twyla Exner)
5
Exhibit Installation (2024) (Image credit: Twyla Exner)
