Generative Art Timeline · Chapter 9: AI Era (2010s)

2019

EONS by Mike Tyka

Artwork

A still frame from Mike Tyka's BigGAN-generated animation EONS, taken from the artist's own Vimeo upload of the work.
A still frame from Mike Tyka's BigGAN-generated animation EONS, taken from the artist's own Vimeo upload of the work. Mike Tyka, EONS, 2019 (video still). Courtesy of the artist.

This early example of a neural net animated narrative by Tyka blends the aesthetics of a moving painting with the structure of a music video. Created entirely using artificial neural networks, the visuals were generated with BigGAN. The animation explores the narrative potential of GANs, offering a contemplative reflection on humanity’s brief existence and our relationship with nature on geological timescales. EONS emphasizes the emotional incomprehensibility of our scientific knowledge, inviting viewers to ponder our place within the vast expanse of time.

Text by Peter Bauman. Generative Art Timeline, Le Random, fact-checked September 2026.

Sources

People

Mike Tyka

Movements

Machine Learning Art, computer animation

Filed under

Ideas
ai art, deep time, nature
Technologies
artificial intelligence, BigGAN, GANs, neural networks
People
Mike Tyka
Works
EONS

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