Titles

One of the projects I am looking forward to is an upcoming Instagram Live session with Charlotte from Charlotte Russell Contemporary. Which lead to me needing to update my inventory.

Titles are usually really easy for me. (from my artist statement) I don’t usually title pieces before they are shown so the audience will engage first in looking without anchoring to or filtering a concept. Said differently, I think anchoring a viewer with an phrase (titles usually imply a subject) tethers them to thought and language and distracts from contemplation.

During a recent art excursion with my main homeboy About Half, I got to see a fannnn-tastic Stanley Brouwn exhibit at the Art Institute. The titles of so many of the pieces were just perfect. It left me deep in… contemplation! Upon my return I resolved to think more about how I could use titles to point the viewer towards the idea of contemplating (the) painting.

One solution that came to mind was to point the viewer toward contemplation by creating titles from the perspective of a Modernist/formalist. I want the work to refer to itself. A title is a way to point to an idea. So, point to the idea of a painting that points at itself.

Now obviously, I can’t go back in time and ask one of many such practitioners. Enter Chat GPT.

I’m not going to use this article to write about the implications of AI evolution, that’s another, upcoming one. I’ll just note for now that, as an artist, you have to acknowledge this stuff and shape some of your thinking around it. For purposes of this article, I’ll also note that I see this moment’s iteration of AI as an amalgamation of all humans have thought and written. And specifically, that includes a lot about abstract painting, by lots of writers from said era. Why not ask the AI to simulate one (and spit me back a title that would, if read by a viewer, point to the type of language forms that were used to first encapsulate the idea of a painting that points at itself)?

I see this method of titling as a collaboration, and as a way to create a reflection of us back to ourselves (IE, the work points at the viewer).

Following are several images of pieces that our future overlord helped me name.

User: Please suggest a title for a painting. It is on canvas, stretched over a small polygon (less than 20” on any side). The predominant colors are pink, red, blue and white. The composition is made of interconnected solids rendered in isometric perspective which sometimes conflicts with itself. There appears to be a light source which does not resolve the subject entirely as a place or space. It would be described as abstract. It is very similar to many paintings made in the first half of the twentieth century.

ChatGPT: “Interplay of Chromatic Fragments”

User: Would an artist from that era name it differently and if so what would they name it?

ChatGPT: If we consider the naming conventions of artists from the first half of the twentieth century, particularly those associated with abstract art movements such as Cubism or Constructivism, they often chose titles that were more conceptual or evocative rather than descriptive. Here are a few suggestions for a title that an artist from that era might have chosen:

• “Ethereal Geometry”
• “Synthetic Symphony”
• “Confluence of Colors”
• “Spatial Rhapsody”
• “Transcendent Abstractions”
• “Harmonies in Contradiction”
• “Luminous Intersections”
• “Contours of the Sublime”
• “Dialectic of Form and Space”
• “Transcending Perspectives”

These titles capture the spirit of abstract art during that time and convey a sense of ambiguity, exploration, and experimentation in both form and color.

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User: Please suggest a title for a small painting. It was made in the year 2023. It utilizes connected trapezoids, some of which imply isometric cubes. The paint application is textured, making use of a pallet knife. There are also drawn lines demarcating the edges of the trapezoids. Heavy use of yellow in combination with blue and green makes certain parts of the composition appear to glow. Although a contemporary composition, please suggest a title from the perspective of an artist that would refer to themselves as a formalist artist from the 1960s.

ChatGPT: “Chromatic Constructions: Luminescent Geometry”

User: “Thank you. What do you think a contemporary artist living today would title such a painting?”

ChatGPT: “Transcendent Geometry: Luminous Horizons”

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User: “Please help me name a small, abstract painting. The composition is an amalgam of trapezoid shapes, some of which reference isometric cubes. The painting is mostly thinly applied and some of it is transparent. There are hand-drawn and taped lines and edges. The support material is muslin and it can be seen in its raw form in many places. The color pallet is very 1980s, while the composition looks like it dates to the late 60s. The artist is a white, American man who intends the work to be perceived as less than inviting and not quite garish either. There is an almost romantic commitment to idealism, but it is not showy or pretentious.”

ChatGPT: “Based on the description you provided, here are a few name suggestions for your small, abstract painting:

• “Fragmented Reflections”
• “Translucent Geometry”
• “Trapezoidal Echoes”
• “Luminous Subtleties”
• “Muslin Memories”
• “Cubist Whispers”
• “The Unassuming Ideal”
• “Chromatic Nostalgia”
• “Ephemeral Structures”
• “Modest Ambiguity”

Feel free to choose or modify any of these names to best suit your artistic vision.

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User: “I would like at least one suggestion for a title for a small painting on a shaped canvas (less than 2 feet in any dimension). Raw canvas is visible around some of the edges of the painting, and white primer is also visible- the application of paint builds up towards the middle of the canvas. Much of the paint is transparent acrylic. There appear to be cubes but there is not a consistent light source. Some surfaces appear rendered and others appear to be sections of larger images. It would be called geometric abstraction. It was made by hand and is the result of a number of studies. The only interaction with the digital has been this request to help suggest a title.”

ChatGPT: “Title suggestion: “Fragmented Prism”

User: “What happens to a prism if it is fragmented?”

ChatGPT: “If a prism is fragmented, it means that it has been broken or divided into multiple pieces. In terms of its optical properties, a fragmented prism would no longer function as a cohesive unit to refract and disperse light in a controlled manner. The fragmented pieces may scatter or distort light in unpredictable ways, resulting in a disrupted and fragmented pattern of light and color. Metaphorically, a fragmented prism could represent a shattered or disrupted perspective, where clarity and coherence are lost, and the elements are scattered in a disordered fashion.”

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User: “Please provide at least one example title for an abstract painting that I recently made. It utilizes acrylic paint, and many of the types of additives for acrylic that impact its sheen- some areas are iridescent, others are dead flat compared to higher, glossy surfaces. It is a medium size canvas in a trapezoidal shape, and the raw, blue canvas is visible around the edges. The lines between the compositional elements- which are trapezoids that occasionally form and imply isometric cube-like shapes- are crisp (you can see in many places they were made using tape). It is definitely an abstract composition. Please keep in mind the history of geometric abstraction and the point in time in which the painting was made. There is no intended “subject” for the painting; I intend for it to exist in a place where it is considered without reference to an idea other than it’s need to be contemplated in order to have purpose.”

Chat GPT: “Title: “Luminescent Intersections: A Geometric Ode to Contemplation.” Explanation: This title captures the essence of your abstract painting while referencing the history of geometric abstraction. “Luminescent Intersections” refers to the play of light and sheen created by the acrylic additives, highlighting the iridescent and flat areas. The use of trapezoids and implied cube-like shapes in the composition is emphasized by the mention of geometric intersections. The title also alludes to the contemplative nature of the artwork, as you intended it to be considered without a specific subject. Finally, the inclusion of “ode” in the title adds a poetic touch, elevating the significance of the painting and suggesting a deeper appreciation for its purpose.”

User: “I’ve already used the adjective luminescent in a recent title. I’m inclined to call it Geometric Ode to Contemplation unless there is a different adjective that would accomplish the same thing.”

Chat GPT: “Certainly! If you would like to avoid repeating the adjective “luminescent,” here’s an alternative title for your abstract painting: “Ethereal Intersections: A Geometric Ode to Contemplation.” Explanation: The word “ethereal” conveys a sense of delicate beauty and otherworldliness, capturing the effect of the various acrylic additives and their impact on the painting’s sheen. The term “intersections” still references the geometric elements in the composition, emphasizing their crispness and the use of trapezoids and cube-like shapes. The phrase “Geometric Ode to Contemplation” remains intact, signifying the intended purpose of the artwork—to be contemplated and experienced without a specific subject or idea.”