Interview Directory 

ART

Name: Ellie Pritts

Occupation: Artist

Collaborations: Microsoft, Apple, Showtime

Residence: Los Angeles

“In my artistic practice I often combine cutting edge technology like AI with obsolete technology, like circuit bent video hardware from the 90s.“

How did your inspiration for "Calderúnicae" come about? 

I actually started working on the initial works for this exhibition over a year ago. I had just trained a LoRA on a previous body of work of mine and I was experimenting with it and creating these surreal, almost mystical portraits of imagined individuals. I started thinking about where these people came from and who they were, and I started forming a narrative in my head about them. I sat on that for a while, unsure when it would make sense to share them with the world. When the team at Kunstverein Ludwigsburg reached out to me proposing an exhibition I had so many ideas of what to do. But after seeing the space and learning that I essentially had free reign to do whatever I wanted, I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to fully dive into the world I wanted to create.

I read that your work is a combination of vintage and new technologies. Can you explain that?

In my artistic practice I often combine cutting edge technology like AI with obsolete technology, like circuit bent video hardware from the 90s. I enjoy the interplay between the old and new and the unexpected results I get from working recursively between different technologies.

How does nostalgia also play a big role in your work? 

I think the analog feel of a lot of my work can make viewers nostalgic for the past. I’m not overly nostalgic myself, but I hold a special place in my heart for the childhood experiences that shaped who I am today. I like to create artwork that feels like a memory or a dream.

“The general sentiment was 1) creating art with AI is easy and 2) if it is easy to make, it doesn’t have much artistic value.“

An article in the Smithsonian about you from 2022 asks, "Is this art?" in reference to digital works, including one by you. Can you tell our readers something about this? 

The article was a response to the first AI art exhibition in the US at bitforms gallery in San Francisco. The question that kept coming up at that time was, “Is this art?” because the technology was very new to the public. The general sentiment was 1) creating art with AI is easy and 2) if it is easy to make, it doesn’t have much artistic value. While of course art being “good” is subjective, I do not agree with the idea that medium or ease of creation determine whether an artwork is truly art. I don’t believe an artistic output needs to meet any qualifications to be considered art. Fortunately, I see this attitude slowly changing as AI is becoming more commonplace and more everyday people have experimented with it to some degree and understand it better. As for myself and my practice, working with AI has certainly helped me create with more ease, especially physically. But my process is still very complex and time consuming, although the time flies by for me when I am creating.

Do you mainly see the positive aspects of AI, the limitless possibilities, or do you also think about the dangers? 

I am always considering all aspects of things, AI being no exception. 

What is it actually like to run a campaign with Microsoft? 

I absolutely loved my experience working with Microsoft. It was a huge challenge which I gladly accepted. Getting to create artwork based on strangers’ actual heartfelt memories, more or less on the spot, using only AI, was a big task. I was nervous about it. When I revealed the artwork I made for each person, that was really them seeing it for the first time. Those genuine reactions were everything, so I really had to do an excellent job. It was a very touching experience. I hope to have more creative opportunities like this in the future.

Have you always been creative? 

Yes, absolutely. As far back as I can remember. I was always drawn to music and science and then more visual arts when I was a teen. I love what I do now because it satisfies my innate curiosity as not only an artist, but a scientist. I think I was born to be a creative technologist. 

Is this your first time exhibiting in Germany? How did this exhibition come about? 

This is my third exhibition in Germany. The first was at Kraftwerk Berlin in 2022 and then at EXPANDED.ART in Berlin last year. This exhibition came about when the team at Kunstverein Ludwigsburg saw my solo exhibition “In The Screen I Am Everything” at bitforms gallery in NYC last summer and decided they would like to work with me as well. 

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Courtesy of the artist