Legendary American artist Keith Haring is known for his colourful and often political artwork, but arguably his most touching piece is his final creation ‘Unfinished Painting’. Reflecting the devastating effects of the AIDS crisis, its incompletion makes a haunting statement about the lives cut short by the virus. Now, with AI technology, one X user has ‘completed’ the artwork, inadvertently stripping it of its powerful meaning.
The ‘finished’ artwork has caused controversy online, with many users stating that the piece is inconsiderate and disrespectful to Haring’s artistic legacy. With Midjourney’s recent artist database leak, it seems that the worlds of AI and art are in a tumultuous phase with moral concerns around copyright and original artistry under threat.
The story behind this painting is so sad! Now using AI we can complete what he couldn’t finish! pic.twitter.com/uAwM6SBUGWDecember 31, 2023
Keith Haring has been an important figure in contemporary art for several decades, famed for his role in the 1980s New York art scene. ‘Unfinished Painting’ is a sombre stray from his bright, graphic artwork, dripping with political boldness that resonates with many fans. Besides a single corner adorned with Haring’s signature graphic art style, the majority of the canvas is bare, gesturing to a void of unfulfilled creativity – a fate that Haring and many others met due to the AIDS epidemic.
“This is disgusting, a desecration, an act of sacrilege,” one X user commented, while another claimed it was an example of “AI fans again proving they don’t comprehend art.” While AI art generators can be a useful tool for creativity, it feels unnecessarily provocative to spoil an art piece that so many feel holds a heartfelt significance – especially just to cause a little pointless controversy.
The painting is already in it’s completed form It was meant to be “unfinished”AI fans again proving they don’t comprehend artDecember 31, 2023
This is disgusting, a desecration, an act of sacrilege. The fact you even thought this to be at all okay says that you need to go out and speak with people, real people. Not just your computer screen and all of us within itJanuary 1, 2024
With AI art scandals increasingly spreading, it feels that we’re slipping into a moral grey area that needs further regulation. With big brands like Adobe formulating AI art and copyright plans, hopefully, we’ll see a near future where artists and AI can ethically coexist.
