A Gift and a Curse

Anthony Quinn May 2023

My art explores a parallel universe where Irish mythology crosses over into today’s world. I’m an Irish native and an Australian citizen. I draw and write for people who are curious about myth, machine intelligence and making art. Anthony Quinn, Artist

Anthony Quinn

The Salmon of Knowledge is an Irish myth about a boy called Fionn who gains infinite knowledge, wisdom and the gift of prophecy by eating a magical Salmon.

The Salmon ate nuts that fell from nine magical hazel trees into the Well of Wisdom, where it lived. The celts believed that hazelnuts provided wisdom and poetic inspiration.

The Salmon became very wise but hungry as ever. This early idea portrays the Salmon as a monster, so I put it aside...

The thread of an idea: fisherman, tree and fish are interdependent.

My current AI image generator (Dall-E2) is becoming an aide, creating intriguing, if at times grotesque interpretations.

Four AI services generate over 20 million images daily. Ask an AI a question. It will provide an answer, one or many.

Imagine the volume of online data, plus the offline data of world. Are there hazelnuts in that picture in your mind?

So, what happens if the fisherman catches the Salmon of Knowledge?

It takes minutes to read this story. It took months to create the art. Is it just data, or is it a hazelnut?

Maybe it's a gift. Maybe a blessing. Or both?

A Gift and a Curse

What next?

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