It was a typical art gallery opening, with an elegantly dressed crowd, wine flowing, and excited chatter surrounding the artists as they slowly circulated around the room. But it wasn’t typical at all.
The location was The Nieux, a digital art and investment center located in an eye-catching building on Avenue Saint-Charles, built using part of the Eiffel Tower. There were no paintings or drawings, just virtual artwork glowing and projected onto a screen.
Although this artist was one of New Orleans’ most famous figures, his art was not. Instead, he was famous for his heroic acts on the soccer field and his courageous resistance to a terrifying and debilitating disease.
Few knew that New Orleans Saints icon Steve Gleason started dabbling in digital drawing and painting. Many people would have thought that would be impossible since ALS has left Gleason with almost no mobility. But on Thursday evening, Issue 37 debuted a series of fascinating and sometimes compelling images.
Darkness and light
Gleason has been creating art using new artificial intelligence technology. He created dream-like landscapes, anime-style cartoons, and some intense visions that seemed to figuratively express both his unimpeded intellect and progressive physical helplessness. Did.
In one rich digital painting, a child appears fearlessly staring into a cosmic fireball on the right as a terrifying solar eclipse blackens the sky on the left. In another photo, dark tides wash over a man’s feet, and his head appears to be enveloped in some kind of aurora of light. In the third scene, the tree’s roots reach into the earth’s hot magma, and its branches stretch toward the cool evening sky.
The title of the last book is “A tree cannot grow to heaven unless its roots reach hell.” The yin and yang of glory and damnation seem to underlie Gleeson’s most fascinating work.
watermelon, man, love, tutu
Gleason’s dive into AI art began a few years ago when Adobe software representative Adam Wood and art gallery owner Lindsay Roussel introduced him to new digital art-creation technology. . The user instructs the computer program by typing a few words, and the software generates an image.
It’s a hit or miss proposition. Sometimes the Mona Lisa appears right away. You may also need countless more prompts to get the perfect result.
In Gleason’s first attempt, he set out to generate a Mardi Gras costume using the prompt “Watermelon, Man, Love, Tutu.” The end result was a lifelike male masked man wearing a translucent blue skirt, watermelon pink cropped vest, and a hat with gold beads and feathers.
Eventually, Gleason became hooked, according to Wood and Roussel. Before long, he and Wood were exchanging prompts at 3 a.m. and revising images until Gleason was satisfied.
Wood said co-creating artwork requires trust, which he describes as mutual vulnerability. “I felt really blessed to be able to work with him at that level,” Wood said.
That blocked punt
A special teams standout, Gleason became a timeless icon in New Orleans after blocking a punt in a game against the Atlanta Falcons in 2006. This key play led to the win and the beginning of the Saints’ post-Katrina rise. Outside the Superdome stands a statue of Gleason charging toward the ball during a victory.
Thirteen years ago, Gleason, now 47, was diagnosed with a motor neuron disorder, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, which drastically disrupted his life. He remains a popular public figure despite enduring a progressive disability.
Before he lost his motor skills, Gleason was skilled with a pencil. Some of the sketches he keeps – a courtyard scene, a fishing boat, a trio of young men – are very good. If he wasn’t an athlete, he might have become an artist. It doesn’t mean you can’t do both.
Gleason, who speaks using a special keyboard that converts eye movements into words, said he has loved drawing ever since he was a professional football player. “Yeah, I actually used to sketch weird pictures of players and coaches,” he said.
new creative path
At Thursday’s reception, Gleason thanked the new digital art tools and the people who helped them use them.
“I’ve always considered myself an artist and a craftsman in many ways,” Gleason said. “Using these technologies to create visual expressions of art is a new creative avenue for me and others to express ourselves.”
Most of Gleason’s works are not for sale. In fact, they are not printed on paper or canvas. They exist only as digital projections and are currently on display at The Nieux, 2040 St. Charles Ave.
The exhibition runs until April 30th, Monday through Friday, 10am to 5pm, and admission is free.
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