"The scenes in the book never existed, but in another sense, they must have existed."
In 2023, With the widespread use of the artificial intelligence, I registered for ChatGPT and Midjourney respectively, and began a deep connection with AI. Starting from my commute on a certain day in May 2023, I spent almost all my spare time on the idea of using AI to compile a "New Americans"; three months later, combining my understanding of all the images in Robert Frank's book The Americans and my experience in operating AI, the AI photography collection "The New Americans" was completed.
In 1956, Robert Frank traveled across the United States, photographing the scenes he encountered along the way. Two years later, the documentary photography collection The Americans with only 83 photos was published, becoming an immortal masterpiece in the history of photography. I set The New Americans in the United States in the 2020s, continuing and evolving the theme of The Americans. Times have changed, concepts have changed, and The New Americans is not a deliberate imitation of The Americans, but a re-examination and interpretation of the same theme.
Unlike Frank who used a camera to record what he saw, all the images and texts in this photo album are created virtually through AI tools, and all people and objects do not really exist. But this does not mean that this is a fictional work. On the contrary, it is still essentially a "documentary photo album." Every element that makes up this photo album, including images and texts, comes from big data. They have been sampled, filtered, and reorganized, and have universal representativeness that no individual has.
Let me end with a quote from the book's AI author, Evan James Carter:
"The New Americans is also a collection of photographs about the times and history. It records major events and turning points that the United States has experienced in the early 21st century, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the legalization of same-sex marriage, the Black Lives Matter movement, gun violence, and the immigration crisis. These events have not only affected the lives of Americans, but also their ideas and values. The photos in the book capture the scenes and consequences of these events, as well as the emotions and reflections they have caused. These photos allow us to see the changes and constants in the United States, and the problems and possibilities of the United States.
What does AI imaging mean for photographic art and American culture? I believe this is an opportunity to explore new possibilities and perspectives, challenge our assumptions and expectations, and celebrate the diversity and complexity of this country. I hope you will enjoy this journey with me and discover the new Americans together: they have never existed, but they must exist."
Exhibition Scene：
About the Artist:
Zhu Chaohui
Publisher and producer, non-professional photographer.
Duku Executive Editor
Xiaozhongshe Founding Partner
Gulou West Theater Visual Consultant
Distinguished Tutor of the Media Performance Department of China Academy of Art
Background Information
Born in 1969, based in Beijing.
From 2001 to 2021, worked as a text and picture editor and editor-in-chief of a journal.
From 2021 to present, the executive editor of Duku.
Solo Exhibition
"Onlooker" (Beijing Shixiang Space, 2017)
"As I See It" (Hexi University/Lanzhou University of Arts and Sciences, 2018)
"The Ship Docked" (Hangzhou West Lake International Documentary Conference, 2023)
Recent Awards
AI photography collection the New Americans won the second place in the 2023 IPA International Photography Award AI Image (Professional Group)
VR documentary Ship Docked was shortlisted for the "Light of Documentary" of the 2023 West Lake International Documentary Conference
