Landscapes and Nude Portraits by Robbie Barrat

In 2017 Robbie Barrat began using Generative Adversarial Networks to make art, producing his first two significant bodies of work, Landscapes and Nude Portraits, which reached collectors in 2018. He had begun his explorations of AI in 2016, with a Bach-imitating LSTM in July and a rapping neural network in November. His initial attempt with landscapes yielded realistic but ultimately unremarkable results, highlighting the limitations of merely replicating traditional art forms with new technology. Seeking deeper engagement with the medium, Barrat then focused on nude portraits, intentionally guiding the GAN to misinterpret the overall structure while correctly learning local features. This approach underscored his interest in the creative potential of GANs, allowing the machine to produce unexpected and intriguing generative outcomes beyond pre-programmed rules. While these works remain central to his artistic exploration and explanations, they—in particular Nude Portraits—have played a remarkable role in the history of the birth of NFTs, as we will see later this year, but also its uglier speculation and mania, which ultimately drove Barrat to disavow them.