A new video collage or assemblage...I generated the images & videos in Leonardo.AI, then assembled them in Blender's video editor. A tribute to deranged dictators and warmongers everywhere...
"The High Commander", AI video, 2026
And for clarity, here is a still image from the composite video:
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| "The Gods of War", AI, 2026 |
My wife, Diana Ayton-Shenker, found this via a Google search as an AI overview:
"Ayton art new mythologies" refers to the work of British artist William T. Ayton, who explores contemporary versions of old myths, human condition, and social issues, often using AR/digital elements in large-scale projects like the Festival of New, reimagining classics like the Tower of Babel with modern themes and hope. His work blends imagination with social commentary, connecting ancient stories to today's world through symbolism and hope for humanity, as seen in his blog posts and projects. [1, 2, 3]
Key Aspects of Ayton's "New Mythologies":
• Reinterpretation: Ayton takes classic mythological figures and stories (like the Tower of Babel, Trees of Life) and updates them for the 21st century, often incorporating technology.
• Social & Hopeful: While acknowledging humanity's struggles, his work carries an underlying message of hope, focusing on universal rights and positive transformation.
• Augmented Reality (AR): He integrates digital elements, such as AR installations in public spaces, to create immersive experiences that connect physical locations with mythical concepts.
• Themes: Explores the human condition, social issues, mythology, diversity, and fundamental freedoms, using allegory and symbolism. [1, 2]
Examples of His Work:
• Tower of Babel 2.0: An AR project using NYC landmarks to reimagine the biblical story with contemporary global issues.
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): Incorporates images and text from the UDHR into his art to highlight fundamental freedoms. [1]
Where to Find More:
• His work has been featured in places like the Limner Gallery and The New York Times, and he often discusses his projects on his WordPress blog (https://aytonart.wordpress.com/). [2, 3]
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://thefestivalofnew2019.sched.com/artist/william_t_ayton.202oat4r
[2] http://www.slowart.com/limner/htm/gall-art/ayton/index.htm
[3] https://aytonart.wordpress.com/
A new piece (though the central image was done a year or so ago, but just animated recently) combining three video looping animations into a triptych of equal parts. I've always been fond of this format, & also of many of the artists who've used it (Bosch, Breughel, Bacon, all the B's).
"It's a Strange World After All", AI video triptych, 2026
And here's a still image to show the details more clearly:
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| "It's a Strange World After All", AI, 2026 |
It was a common theme in Surrealism to replace the head of a human (preferably in a suit of some kind) with that of an animal's, or even an inanimate object. Plus, if you do this in sepia, it looks old-timey. If you do it in video, even better. So, here are some recent short AI videos (& 1 still image) where I have in fact replaced the heads. From top to bottom: The Howler, Eguardo, The Grandfather of the Sea, Monsieur Le Pachyderme & El Perro.
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| The Egg Brothers, AI, 2026 |
"Floating Glass Cities", another generative AI image, I made it today. And a Happy New Year to all!
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| Floating Glass Cities, AI, 2025 |
This will most likely be the final post of the year. I've spent a lot of time working with generative AI in the Leonardo.AI space, & have created many complex & detailed worlds, so below I'm putting in a somewhat random selection of fairly recent pieces (from the last couple of months or so). The images are detailed, so you are encouraged to view them full screen or larger, if possible. More to come in 2026, no doubt.
You can find many many more on my Flickr pages.
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| City of Ornate Orbs, AI, 2025 |
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| Medieval Megalopolis, AI, 2025 |
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| Trees in the Desert, AI, 2025 |
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| They Depart for New Lands, AI, 2025 |
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| Heaven Prototype, AI, 2025 |
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| World Creating Machines, AI, 2025 |
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| Lost Schematics of the Universe, AI, 2025 |
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| Imagined Cityscape, AI, 2025 |
I'm just finishing off the year with some updates, since it's been a long time since I've posted on the blog. Here we all are on the cover of Living Rhinebeck magazine, which is where we live in Upstate New York. And a Happy New Year to all...
This is one of my fairly early experiments in AI video...creating the images and movie loops in Leonardo.AI & assembling them in Blender's video editor. I'm still learning...
This is currently my favorite deranged conspiracy theory, as seen on X/Twitter etc. Apparently there was a huge technologically advanced empire that everyone has forgotten about that created all the neoclassical, etc. buildings of the 19th century & beforehand. I'm baffled that people believe this stuff...? Here are my AI homages to this:
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| The Majesty of Tartaria, AI, 2025 |
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| The Fall of Tartaria, AI, 2025 |
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| Tartarian Ruins, AI, 2025 |
Here is my recent interview & AI co-generated image ("A New Golden Age") as featured in the Davos edition of Art Talk Magazine (on pages 63 & 64).
This was a little collaboration with Tamiko Thiel. I was showing her how the Leonardo.Ai interface worked, so I put in a Tower of Babel and an airship (which are themes I use quite a lot), & she suggested incorporating kudzu, which is apparently an invasive vine that has taken over parts of the southern US, & is a huge problem. So, that added another element entirely to the piece. BTW, Tamiko is a very accomplished XR artist, you should check out her web site.
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| Tower of Babel with Monster Kudzu, Ayton & Thiel, AI co-generated, 2024 |
I'm included in this show in NYC and Mexico, see graphic below. There may be NFTs involved, plus virtual aspects to the show...more info shortly. The AI co-generated artwork depicted is "Cosmic Calavera".
Well, after struggling with the jargon & technology, I got my first NFT on OpenSea...then followed a small number of scammers who wanted to pay me a much higher sum for it, if only I would put it on a different platform that was more "safe". So, that was a little adventure.
Then I found out that a platform I recently joined, The Hug, has the option to create Onchain Collectibles—NFTs, basically, for no cost upfront. So, I did that. I now have 5 more on there. I really don't know if NFTs are still viable, but they seem to be a good way to sell original digital artwork, which may exist as many identical copies, but you can have an "original" specified on the Blockchain. Well, we'll see how it goes. This is an experiment, so I'm not charging astronomical amounts for them.
I may be late to the NFT party, but hopefully now that the gold rush is over, it is still a viable way to show & sell digital art. My first offering is "In the Realm of Machines" which you can see below. Here is the link to OpenSea: https://t.co/8cYnBfap0d
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| In the Realm of Machines (AI), 2024 |
