Can AI pin down my art style?

I am still on an AI kick; now it’s Google Gemini that is captivating me. Marketed as a tool to “supercharge your creativity and productivity,” Gemini was released a few years ago as a response to ChatGPT, another language-based AI model.

When I opened Gemini for the first time, it said I could upload a picture and ask it questions. Naturally, I picked a realistic picture I drew of a sunflower, and asked, “Does this drawing look like a sunflower?”

“Yes, the drawing looks like a sunflower! Here are some of the features that make it recognizable as a sunflower. The drawing has a ring of bright yellow petals radiating outwards, which is a characteristic feature of sunflowers. The center of the drawing is filled with small, dark seeds, which are also a key feature of sunflowers. If you’d like, you can give me another description and I’ll try to identify it,” Gemini replied.

I was over the moon. A robot just told me I’m a good artist. I uploaded another photo, this time of an eye that I painted in acrylic.

“What does this painting look like?” I asked.

“The painting depicts an eye. It’s a close-up and somewhat abstract, with the focus on the pupil and the surrounding iris. The use of black and white creates a dramatic contrast, adding to the intensity of the image. Would you like to know more about the style or technique used in the painting?” Gemini said.

I HAD to know: “Yes, what style is this painting?” I asked.

“The painting, with its focus on the eye and its use of black and white, suggests an Expressionist style. Expressionism is an art movement that emphasizes emotional expression and inner feelings over realistic representation. Artists in this style often use bold colors, distorted forms, and exaggerated brushwork to convey intense emotions like fear, anxiety, or anger. In this painting, the dramatic contrast between black and white and the intense focus on the eye could be interpreted as conveying a sense of scrutiny or perhaps even a feeling of being watched.”
Gemini got the interpretation, too! I had to see what else it knew. So I went on my Facebook and Instagram, saved every picture of artwork I made and shared, sent it to Gemini and asked, “What does this artwork portray and what style is it?”

Out of 32 pieces of art, it tagged 14 as expressionism, seven as surrealism and four as pop art. The remaining pieces were tagged with one-off movements like realism, op art, fauvism, psychedelic art, dada and cubism.

Gemini describes expressionism as “an art style that emphasizes subjective emotion and inner feelings over objective representation.“

Key characteristics are emotional intensity, distorted forms, bold colors and expressive brushwork. Famous examples are Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” and Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night.”

Gemini says Surrealism is “an art movement that aims to tap into the subconscious mind and express irrational thoughts and emotions,” with key characteristics of dreamlike imagery, juxtaposition of unrelated objects and emphasis on the subconscious.

Famous examples are Salvador Dalí’s “The Persistence of Memory” and René Magritte’s “The Son of Man.”

Finally, Gemini explained Pop Art as “an art movement that emerged in the mid-20th century, primarily in Britain and the United States. It challenged the traditional fine art world by elevating popular culture and everyday objects to the level of high art.” It said Pop Art is known for using bold colors, simple pop-culture images, repetition and pattern and satire.

Famous artists in this movement are Andy Warhol, known for iconic images of Marilyn Monroe and Campbell’s Soup cans, and Roy Lichtenstein, famous for comic book style paintings.

With the eye painting being one of my favorite works, expressionism has been a staple in my body of work, and I’m really glad it pinpointed that style. Surrealism is my favorite style of the bunch and I’m glad it recognized that influence too. The pop art aspect is interesting too. I think it’s because I made a few pop art pieces as gifts for my family. (My favorite is a picture I painted of Spock for my dad.)

This experiment with Gemini was a humbling and thought-provoking experience. It was cool to have my artistic style recognized and categorized by AI, but it also raised questions about the role of technology in defining and understanding art. Ultimately, it reminded me that art is a deeply personal and subjective experience, and that the most important thing is to continue creating and expressing myself authentically.