STEPHAN VASEMENT: ENTER THE SECOND-WAVE OF GENERATIVE ART
To look at the work of Stephan Vasement is to be transported to a bizarre, bichromatic world of AI creations. These works scream with primal energy, making great use of fierce animal motifs amidst a surrealistic brushstroke that only AI software can deliver.
Vasement’s journey into the realm of AI began with a background in commercial animation and advertising. After being exposed to early forms of AI created by Ganbrood and Midjourney at work, he became hooked on incorporating this new phenomenon into his creative process. Like a scientist, Vasement sees software such as Midjourney as a tool, systematically experimenting with the capacities of language prompts and assessing the limits of the outputs that can be generated. It is a delicate process that, for such a new and novel innovation, still has many unknown elements to uncover.
A strong advocate for the use of AI in art, Vasement has pushed back against notions that AI art requires very little thought. “Much of what people say is true. It’s very easy to create AI art. But there is also a flip side to the coin. If it’s so easy, how do artists stand out?” It is this dilemma—standing out in a saturated field—that has fascinated Vasement and driven him to push the limits of what is possible with this technological breakthrough. In a world where just about anyone can produce an image that resembles the masters of yesterday, the ability to be distinct has more value than ever.
As for the future, Vasement strives to continue exploring, making use of every new software release, and probing and testing to discover new creative advantages. He calls himself a "second-wave AI artist," a term referring to those who emerged with the advent of programs such as Midjourney and Stable Diffusion. Where the third wave of this movement will take us is as mysterious as the inner workings of these deep-learning machines.
GATA recently had the chance to catch up with Vasement to discuss his creative process, the critics of AI, and the future development of this technology.
GATA: Hi Stephan, can you please introduce yourself to the GATA audience? How did you begin making art?
Stephan: In 2021, I collected a bit of generative art (art created with code) on various blockchains. AI art had always been around me, and I decided to try creating something myself and have rarely stopped since. Many artists from the crypto space became interested in AI, and together we created, discussed, evolved, and collected each other’s works…It was a wonderful time.
GATA: Can you tell us a little bit about the process that goes into making your work?
Stephan: I usually start with a vague idea, something that catches my attention. I play around with it, look at it from different angles, and then just go with the flow. Sometimes random images stick with me, and I build on them, creating a whole world around them. I don’t really use outside references—I have a lot of my own ideas I’ve worked on over time, and I like coming back to them. I use AI everywhere and all the time. It’s an effective tool that helps me create fast and a lot, so I create fast and a lot.
GATA: What is your fixation with animals? Why do motifs of animals and dogs keep popping up in your work?
Stephan: Animals are a convenient vessel, especially for negative emotions: anger, rage, frustration, lust, bitterness, madness, and so on. I like it when there’s a small artistic layer between them and the viewer.
I also think a lot about transcendence and our future—when the transformation of the human body reaches an entirely new level. Imagine California in 2045: an apocalyptic world inhabited by mutated humans, forming packs and attacking one another, a world of endless violence and orgies…A cat-woman torn apart by a gang of human dogs at a techno rave, her bizarre human kittens drowned in a barrel by zealots fighting for the purity of the human body...and so on.
At this point, that scenario feels all too realistic.
GATA: Often when we share work created by AI on instagram, we receive a lot of negative comments. How do you feel about this kind of reaction to AI?
Stephan: I feel like these people are just wasting their energy. When I see dozens of identical comments, I simply don’t care. This kind of criticism, aimed at curious minds exploring new technologies, is pointless. However, I do think people need to be critical of brands that start using AI and do it poorly. If we tolerate this, we’ll end up in a pretty unsettling world. If AI simplifies the creative process, we should be raising the bar for aesthetic quality.
GATA: Do you think that some of the people who complain about AI could just be bad artists? From our point of view, it seems like if you have something valuable to say, you will find a way of saying it, no matter what time period.
Stephan: I guess they’re upset that something they worked on for so long, might not matter anymore. But I believe that over time, we’ll develop more advanced tools that will actually make the work of pen artists more productive. I don’t see any serious criticism addressing real issues—it all seems to boil down to sophistry about what art is and similar boring debates.
GATA: How do you see the future of AI developing within the creative field? Do you think it is a trend or something that is here to stay?
Stephan: This is definitely a technology that’s here to stay. It will only keep improving. I think we haven’t even reached the most exciting part yet—the creation of AI-generated films that are genuinely engaging to watch.
Imagine a world where anyone on Earth can make their own movie—free from Hollywood censors, with full control over the process. We could put our emotions into it, invent our own visual language, and tell unique, deeply personal stories. We’d be able to create a whole new direction in art. And this future is just around the corner.
GATA: Any final thoughts on the topic of AI?
Stephan Vasement: I recommend everyone try expressing themselves through AI. You might learn something about yourself just from the themes you choose to explore or the mood and style you go for. Don’t do it for some grand purpose, do it for fun, and at the very least, you’ll enjoy the process.