Swedish-based artist and writer, Supercomposite, made waves in the cultural world when she created a haunting female portrait using artificial intelligence (AI). However, after delving into the realm of AI art, Supercomposite found the experience to be “very frustrating and very limiting.” The dopamine-inducing addictive nature of AI art led to her burnout, prompting her to halt her exploration of the technology and focus on writing a screenplay instead.
In 2022, Supercomposite experimented with the artistic possibilities offered by AI and created a red-cheeked, hollow-eyed woman named “Loab.” Sharing her creation and the process behind it on social media, Supercomposite quickly garnered attention. Commentators described the images as “disturbing,” sparking ethical conversations about visual aesthetics, art, and technology. However, Supercomposite’s foray into AI art was not without its challenges.
Tools like Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and DALL-E allowed Supercomposite to generate images from written prompts. Curiosity led her to explore “negative prompts,” designed to exclude certain elements from an image. A negative prompt involving the late Marlon Brando resulted in a black logo with green lettering spelling “DIGITA PNTICS.” Intrigued, Supercomposite delved deeper by requesting the opposite of this image, leading to the emergence of a melancholic woman with long hair and red cheeks, whom she named Loab. This captivating creation set the stage for Supercomposite’s subsequent requests and discoveries.
A Dark Trend Emerges
As Supercomposite further experimented with modifying Loab using AI, a disturbing trend began to surface. Loab reappeared sporadically, even after vanishing for several generations of modifications. These reappearances were accompanied by the presence of children, sometimes depicted in gruesome and macabre scenes. The hundreds of generated images featuring Loab were curated by Supercomposite, with the most shocking ones kept under wraps. The world of Loab became viral, causing significant shifts in Supercomposite’s life.
Despite the widespread interest in Loab, Supercomposite chose not to disclose the specific AI tool she used, citing a desire to maintain the focus on art rather than the creators of the model. This decision, however, raised doubts among internet users, who speculated whether Supercomposite had altered the images manually to create a chilling internet phenomenon known as “creepypasta.” Swanson dismissed the claims and embraced the fact that people were actively engaging with her creation.
The intense journey with Loab took its toll on Supercomposite, leaving her feeling exhausted and burned out. Over a year has passed since she engaged with AI art, and she has now turned her attention to writing a screenplay. Supercomposite’s current sentiment about such AI tools can be summarized by a quote from video art pioneer Nam June Paik: “I use technology in order to hate it properly.”
Supercomposite’s exploration of AI in art yielded a haunting and thought-provoking creation with Loab. While the journey was rife with limitations and frustrations, it instigated important conversations about the intersection of art and technology. Supercomposite’s decision to shift her focus highlights the need for artists to find balance and avoid succumbing to the addictive nature of AI art creation. As technology continues to evolve, artists must navigate the fine line between exploration and burnout, all while pushing the boundaries of their creativity.
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