Origin of Fetishization
Origin of Fetishization is a minute long video NFT in which Frank Manzano used AI to generate a series of morphing images with themes relating to specific fetishes. At any given point during the video, the image is likely to have some kind of foot or leg in it, and in many, a woman’s posterior appears as well. Most of the images have one or many human faces, but the placement of the face is not where you would likely see a face in reality, instead it morphs with the rest of the image, popping out of a foot or from behind a wall. Since AI was used to generate this work, many of the images are uncanny or disproportionate to reality, but this works well with themes surrounding the piece.
Through his work, Manzano is typically making a comment on social issues, specifically consumerism. He perceives symbols definitive of our culture, and represents them visually with digital mediums in order to inspire the viewer to consider their personal relationship with these symbols. There is an intricate link between body obsession and economic expansion, with each reinforcing the other. Body fetishism, mostly of women, is commonly used to promote consumerist culture. This piece seems to aim to visually link these two concepts. There was purpose behind the existence of recognizable aspects within a puzzling atmosphere. The concept of the uncanny is not new. Some consider the surrealists to be the first to explore the uncanny in their work, as they aimed to reject the rational and literal portrayal of life. Manzano is doing a very similar thing, stating that “the unsettling nature of the work is not just a reflection of artistic intent but a mirror to our reality” (coeval) .
Screenshot from Video
Artificial Intelligence is the predominant tool used in Manzano’s artwork. In the statement about this piece specifically, consent and autonomy issues surrounding the use of AI are brought up because of the realistic portrayal of human features. With the new availability of this technology, this is a difficult question for an artist because there have not been enough guidelines and principles set regarding the use of AI. It is thought that to whatever extent a technology is a moral agent, it then has duties to respect human autonomy, however there is still debate among experts as to whether Artificial Intelligence systems are, should be, or could be considered moral agents. One purpose Manzano has for his work in general is to excite the viewer to be curious about the potential of AI and to comment on how easily we have become desensitized due to the constant bombardment from television and social media. Monzano is aware that these AI images still catch our attention, because of their unsettling nature, so he uses it to blend and exaggerate thematic elements of a piece in order to overwhelm the viewer’s perception.
