From Early Experiments to Crypto Art Fame: AI-Generated Nudes Make Waves

In the world of AI art, recent AI-generated nudes have captivated public attention. Significantly, a recent sale of an AI-generated nude portrait fetched an impressive price of 175 ETH ($343,761). But, not everyone is happy. Let’s take a closer look.

TL;DR:

• Robbie Barrat, a pioneer in AI art, created a series of 300 AI-generated nude art portraits back in 2018, which have become highly sought-after in the crypto art world.
• Recently, one of Barrat’s artworks, AI Generated Nude Portrait #7 Frame #111, sold for an impressive 175 ETH ($343,761).
• Critics often deride the aesthetics of Barrat’s AI nude portraits, but the sale of these artworks reflects people’s efforts to acknowledge their historical significance and value.

Robbie Barrat and the Roots of Crypto Art

When it comes to the conversation of AI art, it’s important to remember the pioneers who paved the way long before the emergence of notable platforms like Midjourney. Introducing Robbie Barrat, a prominent figure in the artificial intelligence and generative art realm, whose contributions hold significant historical value in the crypto art space.

Barrat began experimenting with machine learning and generative adversarial networks (GANs) back in 2018. Markedly, his early explorations led him to create a series of 300 AI-generated nude art portraits. These have since become highly sought-after pieces in the world of crypto art.

A recent sale of Barrat’s AI Generated Nude Portrait #7 Frame #111 fetched an impressive price of 175 ETH ($343,761). This was despite criticism from anti-AI art proponents, who dismiss the artwork as uninspired output from an unfeeling algorithm. However, these 300 nude portraits, collectively known as The Lost Robbies, have more to them than their creation process.

Controversy and Critique: Exploring Barrat’s AI Nude Portraits and their Value

So, let’s take a look at the history of the artwork. In the summer of 2018, during Christie’s first-ever Tech Summit in London, Barrat collaborated with the NFT marketplace SuperRare to contribute artwork to the event’s gift bags. The collaboration resulted in the creation of 300 frames for attendees. Significantly, AI Generated Nude Portrait #7 emerged from this collaboration. The works were added to ETH gift cards, which recipients could redeem for the exclusive 1/1 token. Unfortunately, only a fraction of these gift cards were redeemed. Thus, leading to the moniker The Lost Robbies.

A few months after Christie’s tech summit, Barrat’s code was utilized by the French artist trio known as Obvious to create Portrait of Edmond Belamy. This AI-generated artwork marked the first-ever sale of AI art by the renowned auction house, Christie’s. Although Barrat initially received no credit or compensation for his contribution, this sale catapulted him into the art world’s spotlight.

The rare pieces that emerged from the original 300 have fetched substantial prices, with some selling for as much as $1 million. Sotheby’s even highlighted the significance of Barrat’s Portrait #7 Frame #64, which sold for over $800,000 in March 2022. However, critics often deride the aesthetics of Barrat’s AI nude portraits. Some even label them as “repulsive.”

Ultimately, assigning a monetary value to history is challenging. Yet, the sale of AI Generated Nude Portrait #7 Frame #111 and other pieces from The Lost Robbies demonstrates people’s desire to acknowledge the historical significance of such artwork.