STABLE DIGEST #11
Artist spotlight - Dehiscence
THIS WEEK’S ISSUE
Welcome back, community! We're thrilled to present this fresh edition of Stable Digest.
Join us as we delve into an artist spotlight featuring the phenomenal Dehiscence, where we discuss everything from art to anatomy.
Get ready to unleash your creativity with Clipdrop’s Stable Doodle, and brace yourself for the imminent arrival of SDXL 1.0!
Our newest section, Tools & Tuts, is chock-full of outstanding community contributions from the past few weeks that we can't wait to share.
And naturally, no Digest would be complete without a stunning showcase of artwork from our talented community!
Have suggestions for artists spotlights or community features? We wanna hear from YOU. Email us community@stability.ai
FOR THE COMMUNITY
Stable Doodle by ClipDrop
Meet your new favourite tool for creativity: Stable Doodle!
The innovative wizards at ClipDrop are at it again! They've created a genie-in-a-bottle of a tool that turns your simple sketches into vivid, high-quality images at the snap of your fingers. From cinematic visuals to high fantasy and everything in between, Stable Doodle has a cornucopia of styles for your choosing. It's as user-friendly as a loyal pup, efficient like a Swiss watch, and has fun written all over it!
So, what are you waiting for? Whip out that sketchpad, wave your doodle wand, and head on over to ClipDrop to conjure up the visuals of your dreams!
Craving a deeper dive into the mechanics? Satisfy your curiosity by exploring our blog for all the intricate details.
SDXL 1.0 Candidates
As we eagerly approach the SDXL 1.0 release, we loaded our SDXL Bot with all the final release candidates this week.
Our Pantheon Channel has been bursting with exceptional creations, with our community relentlessly generating and voting on their favourites, playing an instrumental part in helping us crown the ultimate candidate for the grand SDXL 1.0 release!
Don't miss out on the excitement! Jump into our bot channels to seize your chance to experiment with these phenomenal models!
BY THE COMMUNITY
MODELS & EMBEDDINGS
Finding embeddings that truly stand out can be like searching for a needle in a haystack, right? That's why we're all kinds of excited to put a spotlight on Bubble Drip! This experimental LoRA by LDWorksDavid is no ordinary Joe; it conjures up a vivid, bubbly, drip-style background with an unapologetic focus on orange and blue hues.
Want to add some fizzy fun to your work? Give Bubble Drip a whirl and prepare to be amazed!
TOOLS & TUTS
Tutorial Spotlight!
Lights, camera, face-swap! Get ready to dive into the world of seamless imaging with Roop, an innovative AI tool extension on Auto1111. With just a single image, you can swap and reinvent faces in your photos, all without the need for Dreambooth or LoRAs. Say goodbye to complexity and hello to creativity. Be sure to check out this tutorial by Sebastian Kamph as he unmasks the magic of Roop.
It's time to give your images a whole new face - the easy way!
COOL TOOL!
Okay, okay we know how tantalising it can be to see a tool you can't quite use yet, but AnimateDiff is an innovation too exciting to keep under wraps. We've all been captivated by the recent surge of AI animation, yet we know something has been absent - the ability to use fine-tunes and embeddings!
Well, get ready because this newly developed motion modelling module is changing the game. It's designed to learn from video clips, capturing the essence of motion and, once incorporated, breathes life into your static, personalised images. This means your fine-tuned masterpieces can be transformed into dynamic, engaging animations!
Example using Model: ToonYou
A minor hiccup: It's not quite ready for consumer GPUs. But we're optimistic about the relentless ingenuity of the AI community that has already got some versions up on Google Colab! One by camenduru and another by DigThatData!
So, keep a keen eye out, as this just might be a tool you'll be able to tinker with in the near future!
WITH THE COMMUNITY
STABLE SOCIETY DEEP DIVE - Dehiscence
Thank you so much for being here! Your journey from forensic anthropology and critical care physiotherapy to full-time AI artistry is truly unique. Can you speak to us a little more about this progression, how art trickled into your life, and if there was an AHA moment that made you realize you were ready to make art your full-time calling?
Thank you for having me, it is a pleasure to be here. Forensic Anthropology and Physiotherapy are very science based professions, and I do have a very scientific mindset, but I also have a very creative side. I have always doodled and drawn, I even painted my bedroom like an Ancient Egyptian Tomb when I was a teenager. I never really considered myself to be an artist when I was younger despite having honed my drawing skills in university while learning anatomy. When I took up art as a hobby in 2017 it was very natural to make anatomical art. My early works are heavy on anatomy and less so on the social aspects you see in my art of the last few years.
I initially started creating art as a way to relieve stress, help with relaxation and to focus my mind on creativity instead of the harsh realities of critical care. At that time, I was teaching a weekly class to patients who had heart surgery and I thought it would be a good idea to incorporate art into the teaching. Of course, my colleagues were fascinated with my art, while the general public didn’t quite give it the same warm reception as those of us who see anatomy in all its forms on a daily basis.
I started to exhibit in the traditional art world in Canada and in the USA, but when the pandemic hit I knew galleries would be closed for the unforeseeable future and if I wanted my art to be seen, I would need to look for other avenues. I discovered NFT’s via research into crypto. In late 2020 a colleague started talking to me about crypto. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I found it interesting nonetheless. I started researching what was what, and during that research I learned about NFT’s. That was mini “A-HA!” moment in the sense that I saw NFT’s as another avenue to showcase my art and maybe earn some money. I entered the NFT space in March of 2021. I continued with my day job, but with the extra strain of the pandemic it was becoming increasingly difficult to manage both my day job and my art career. It was in May of 2022 when I decided to take the leap into art full time. I figured I was close to retirement age anyway, why not retire a little early and start my third career. So that is what I did.
You've previously discussed your transition from multi-media art to AI, a story we find fascinating. Could you elaborate on how your interest in technology, fostered through your work in medicine, naturally led you to integrate technology into your artistic processes? And could you tell us a little bit about your very first AI integrated project?
I have always been interested in the latest technology, especially tech related to medicine. During my physiotherapy career I worked in various patient populations including, orthopaedic surgery, vascular surgery and lastly in cardiovascular surgery which are populations where medical technology plays a big role. Cardiovascular surgery was the last area I worked in and I worked with people who had a Left-Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) implanted.
Medical tech combined with my love for science fiction and all the speculation that comes with that genre and my natural instinct to think about human behaviour, all drive the expressive forces of my art. Through the years I have also thought quite a bit about the relationship between our feelings of vulnerability during illness and how our denial or fear of our own mortality impacts our roles within our family units and within our roles in society. Those very human feelings combined with my interest in implantable medical technology, is what made me expand my art to use the human body as a modifiable subject.
In 2020, I was accepted into an artist residency program at Praxis in Oslo, Norway. The residency was called “Perfection / Speculation: a multi-disciplinary investigation of the meanings and ethics of genetic technologies”. The residency was postponed for a year but ended up having two hubs in 2021, one in Oslo, Norway and one in London, England for those of us who couldn’t travel into Norway due to Covid restrictions. The two hub format allowed for the residents to collaborate on a digital project for the residency which was then shown at the Vigeland Museum in Oslo. As I was studying genetic technologies for the residency, I thought about how I could use AI to modify the human body. It was at this point, I took the leap to use AI in my workflow. I didn’t mint anything I created at the residency, but my favourite clip from the residency is called Flow. Around the time of the residency, I started minting short video clips I made using VQGAN+Clip.
Dehiscence’s “Flow” - Created in the residency program at Praxis
From your childhood fascination with roadkill to your love of horror movies you seem to have always been drawn to exploring humanity in raw, visceral ways. This shows in some of your most compelling work such as Dehiscence Dystopia. What do you think drives you to peel back the layers and expose our inner worlds (pun intended)?
The world we live in is what drives me. The good, the bad and the ugly. One specific aspect is the human ego. We all have it. We all struggle with it whether we are conscious of it or not. Ego drives our desire to fit in, to look and act a certain way. Society plays a huge role in moulding and shaping ego. Societal and cultural standards of physical perfection are all around us. Class status, ideals of beauty, unrealistic body images, sexist, racist and gendered standards are what's on view for the world to see. Television, advertisements and social media add fire to this storm of superficial beauty. I think it is a narrow and delusional ideal of the human form which often fosters discrimination and oppression. This false reality of perceived physical perfection is largely unattainable by most and may have detrimental physical and mental effects on those seeking to attain it.
In addition, the world is divided. Divided by perceived race, divided by religion, divided by gender, divided by political affiliation, there are numerous divisions throughout the world which connect the few but divide the masses. I peel back the layers to reveal our similarities. To reveal what makes us human. My initial goal with art was to remove those societal biases that are so often associated with our superficial physical traits and in doing so would allow the viewer to negotiate the emotional and gendered meaning of the human body. By highlighting what lies underneath our superficial skin suit, I could show the commonality of all of humanity. Remove the skin, we are all the same. We are composed of muscle, fat, skin and hair. Our external facade should not matter.
While my artwork is no longer always heavily anatomical, my creative process still stems from a desire to even the playing field by either modifying our external facade or by bringing the societal or cultural biases to the forefront. Human rights are human rights and no one should be left behind. The social aspect of my art is heavily influenced by my previous humanitarian work as an anthropologist and the merging of art with technology such as artificial intelligence, is influenced by my career in healthcare.
You've spoken before about how you don't feel like you have a visual style, but rather a style in the content and subject matter of your art. Could you elaborate on this and how it influences your creative process, for instance, do you purposefully navigate away from a consistent style or is it something that happens more naturally?
I often wonder if having one singular specific style would benefit my art career, but at the same time, if I was to focus solely on one specific style, I would no longer be creating art that is “me”. While I may not have one specific visual style, the one common element throughout all my artworks is the human element. Whether it is literally a human being or a more symbolic human element such as the impact humankind has on climate change. Humanity is my style. The visual style may change to accommodate the story I am telling but there is always an underlying element of humanity within each piece of art I create. I am telling visual stories. The visual elements need to match the narrative. The style needs to change in order to fit the narrative and the visual aspects of the storyline. It comes very naturally to me and I feel no need to change it.
Your work consistently challenges stereotypes and prejudices, with collections like “Fragmented Reflections” and “Fragments of Society” embodying this approach in similar yet contrasting ways. Could you delve into how these two collections, one focusing on technical glitches and fragments, and the other on organic matter and movement, reflect these themes? How do you decide which artistic direction to take to best convey your message?
These collections are two of my personal favourites. “Fragments of Society” is a collection about the detrimental stereotypes which are so often associated with discrimination and violence against African Americans, particularly violence perpetrated by law enforcement. The visual elements are vibrant and surreal. The figures are full of life, thought, wisdom and resiliency. I am not in a place to speak of the experiences of others which I have not myself experienced, but this series is an acknowledgement that I see what is going on, I do my best to understand the impact and will do what I can to change the engrained and systemic flaws in our society.
“Fragmented Reflections”, is a series which delves into the enigmatic realm where art and technology converge to explore the impact of lived experiences on our existence. Each artwork portrays a subject seemingly trapped within a maze of distorted pixels and fractured lines, representing the complex tapestry of memories, emotions, and perceptions that shape our identities. The glitches in these artworks serve as a reminder that our lives are shaped not only by seamless narratives but by the unexpected fractures and glitches we encounter along the way.
These two collections, while not intentionally connected, display the beginning and the end. The cause and effect of how we perceive and interact with the world around us.
The decision as to which artistic direction to take happens in the experimentation part of my process. I may have an idea of the story I want to tell but it is usually not yet fully developed. Experimenting with visual style and elements helps me settle into where I want the story to go. A lot of my decision making at this stage is based on my gut feeling. What feels right for the narrative.
You invite viewers to confront and engage with complex themes, creating a dialogue between the artist and the audience. In light of this, how do you perceive the role of the audience in your art, and how has this perspective evolved over time?
I do invite the viewer to engage with complex themes, I often wonder how and if any do. It is hard to navigate this aspect of the art in a digital world. During IRL events prior to my entry in web3, I could easily engage in this aspect either by simply eavesdropping on the conversation or engaging with the viewer myself to start or continue a discussion. In Web3, this is more difficult as I have not attended any IRL events and while I often include the topic or theme within the description of any given artwork, I don't know if the viewer reads the description.
I do hope that people read my descriptions and take an opportunity to quietly reflect upon the subject. Art is art, but art can also be used as a teaching tool and to prompt discussions or reflections. A lot of my themes are not necessarily easy topics to think about nor are the filled with joy and happiness but I do believe that the more we discuss and think about these difficult subjects, the easier it will be to continue discussion and to take action in the future to better ourselves and in turn, better the world we live in. I believe we must be comfortable with discomfort in order to truly learn and grow. We can’t evolve or build our resiliency if we live inside a tiny bubble of constructed happiness.
Recently, you made the decision to retire from your healthcare career due to burnout while trying to balance it with your art. Has this transition alleviated your burnout, or have you found that immersing yourself more deeply in the NFT art world has presented its own challenges? How do you manage to maintain personal wellbeing in such a fast-paced and competitive environment?
I started thinking about early retirement two years before the Covid pandemic, and when the pandemic came, I felt like I couldn’t leave. I was needed at the hospital and I wanted to be there, to help and treat those I could. But after almost three years of working in the pandemic, and seeing public health education wane and seeing so many people seemingly not caring about the people around them, their neighbours and even their own family members. Seeing people unwilling to take even the smallest precautions to protect themself and others, I had enough. I was getting to the point where I no longer cared and for me, that is a breaking point. A fork in the road so to speak, where I know it is time to move on. May of 2022 was when I decided to resign and take up art full-time.
The challenges in the NFT art world are not the same, obviously, two very different environments. Creating art is the easy part. I work when I want and for how long I want which is fantastic. However, there are challenges. The fact that we need to be online, interacting on social media almost 24/7 is exhausting. I am a hardcore introvert and the fact that there is a strong need to be social so often is not my norm. It definitely puts me out of my comfort zone. Shilling is just gross, makes me feel dirty. Shilling is something I find very difficult to do. However, one thing that helps me with the social media aspect is I always try to be genuine in my online interactions, if I don’t have anything positive to say, I won’t say it. If I wouldn’t say something to your face, I’m not going to say it to you online either. I stay out of the drama. I don’t have the time or the energy for drama in my personal life so I definitely don’t have the patience for it online. I also take every weekend off. I might check in on twitter, or I may work on art, but I cut down the online interactions dramatically. Taking breaks from the screen is always refreshing.
The Tezos blockchain has been a significant platform for your work, showcasing iconic collections like 'Anatomical Studies' and 'The Wisdom of Time.' It's also where you've become an active art collector. How has moving in this role changed your perspective on your own creations, whether in terms of the creative process or marketing strategies?
I am so thankful for Tezos. I have been able to collect quite a diverse selection o art that I would’ve never been able to do on ETH. There are so many incredible artists onTezos and I will continue to collect as much as I can. I always try to set aside part of my earnings on Tezos to collect from other artists. I collect what I like. If I see a piece of art and it moves me in some way, I want to buy it. If there are Tezos events or fundraising events, I will do my best to participate.
I don’t think being a collector has changed my perspective on my own creations. Collecting art certainly inspires me to create more art. There is a wealth of inspiration on Tezos.
Marketing is an area which is not my strong suit. I should probably pay more attention to that aspect, but to be honest, I really just want to focus on the art.
Many artists, including yourself, have expressed challenges in building a presence in the NFT market. How do you envision your future within the NFT space? Do you plan to continue pursuing it full-time, or are you considering branching out into the traditional art world? What's the next big step for Dehiscence?
Despite the challenges, I am here for the long run. I plan on being here indefinitely and continue art full time. I have been in the traditional art world, I am not keen on going back, however I am open to it. I currently have no plans in the trad world though.
The next big step I have is my genesis drop with Makersplace coming up on July 18. There will be four 1/1 portraits up for auction from my “Fragmented Reflections” collection. I am very excited about this drop and it has been a pleasure working with the team at Makersplace to get this setup.
On July 25th I will have a collaborative Foundation drop with @Lyrithea_eth. It is a combination style, with my landscapes, similar to the ones used in my SuperRare collection “Corroded Horizons” and Lyrithea’s Daravogism style which is an art style born out of and in the modern era of generative art and artificial intelligence. It can be understood as an interplay of collage and any art style or era such as the Renaissance and elements of generative art. It will be a drop of 40 artworks, 20 daytime landscapes and 20 nighttime landscapes.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us! Would you like to share any additional thoughts with us and our community of readers, or give shoutouts to anyone who has been an inspiration to you along the way?
Keep on creating.
WINNERS OF THE WEEK
Greetings, virtuosos of vision! Our COW combatants are once more stirring our excitement to a fever pitch.
Catapulting out of the COW arena, katmoget melts our hearts with Summer Bliss. Meanwhile, joachim is painting the town pink and blue with Chromatic Celebrations that will leave you feeling like a kid again.
Head on over to the Community Events on the Discord and earn your chance to be highlighted!
super article and interesting development
Thanks a lot for the featuring! Hope you guys enjoy the models ^^