Good, Bad, Or Ugly?

Mike was a very special kind of artist, what we call an artisan. His chosen art form was rare MGs and occasionally other sports cars. He was one of those guys who could dismantle a car and rebuild it like new. What a career for a guy born and bred in LA.

While he loved his work, he also loved people, and would do anything for anyone. He truly made the world a better place.

May his memory be for a blessing.

Speaking of artistry, how did you like last week’s AI rendition of Abraham Lincoln as a Biblical shepherd?

Good, bad, or ugly?

Assuming the former, here’s the 2nd question for the table: Who gets artistic credit?

On one hand, I indeed conceived the project, instructed the AI, and guided it to completion.

On the other hand, I certainly did not create the image.

Where is the “soul” of art — in the idea, or the execution, or both?

How about this week’s self-portrait in bronze? Scale of 1 to 10?

It would take me many, many years of study to create such art from my own hands.

I imagine that people have been asking these questions since the invention of recorded music.

Now, not everyone cares about visual arts or even musical arts. But I would like to suggest that everyone has an artist within.

How so?

This is a very Jewish take: our lives have the potential to be a work of art. But no AI can ever create my life for me – I have to be the artist.

And… if you’ll allow me to use a music analogy: we are all like musicians in a giant orchestra, so while we can each make beautiful solo music, there’s nothing like playing together in harmony.

That, in a nutshell, is the point of Judaism — it’s a musical score! All those rules? They’re like all the notes, the key signatures and time signatures, the dynamics…. there are rules of intonation and of rhythm…. and when we are all playing the same score, we create a great symphony.

Perhaps AI can create great art, but not the greatest art? What would Uncle Mike say?

Shabbat Shalom

Appreciated this post? Like it, tweet it, forward it…