Quilling in AI

A few years ago, I watched a video that suggested ways to use 3-D modeling software to create quilling models before you implemented them on paper.

While I appreciated the approach, it seemed to me (at the time), that I could sketch out and create a quilled piece in the same amount of time it took me to model it using Houdini.

Fast forward a just a couple of years to Deep Dream Generator, MidJourney and the world of command line artificial intelligence that allows anyone who can type (or use Voice-to-text software) to create and modify new and existing images in seconds. I was able to type a few ideas in of images I want to quill (the Sydney Opera House, Viola Davis, a botanical garden, and a seaside city) and receive a few ideas of how artificial intelligence would imagine them as quilled pieces:

Some of the images above look similar to the work of acclaimed paper artist (which does not make some artist happy), while others would question whether the piece should be classified as quilling.

I recognize this approach to computational creativity raises a lot of questions that are being debated amongst artist as well as programmers. Can an intelligent agent truly be creative? If you recreate the piece in a different modality, can you really call it original artwork?

I can only speak for myself. The irony is not lost on me that using this tool helps me to create in an art form that is not normally associated with high tech processes. One of the beautiful things about quilling is how minimal it is in terms of access and creation. AI quilling does not replace some of the benefits of quilling (improved dexterity and fine motor skills). Also, while it is easy to create an initial piece in AI, it takes time and patience to customize a digital piece using these digital tools or other photo-editing tools. I will keep learning more about how these tools work through experimentation. This doesn’t mean that I will rely on AI to produce an idea for me. It just means on the days when I am in a creative rut, I have another way to break that block. I am interested in your thoughts. Let me know what you think about this below.