Shadow Self
exhibition, Distillery Gallery, 2019
Shadow Self is an exploration of the evolving role of technology as a tool, medium, and active collaborator in artistic practice. Designed and developed by Sarah Trahan and Andrew Sliwinski, this work includes participation by a custom-built Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) – a type of machine learning system – which has been trained on the social media “likes” of Sarah Trahan. Sarah sends a piece of artwork to the GAN, which returns a new, novel image in response. The GAN’s response is then subsequently integrated into Sarah’s next piece. The work shown here is a single series of back and forth exchanges between the artist and the GAN; creating a form of dialogue between the artist and the technology, the artist and the tool, and ultimately the artist and herself.
This project was shown in Dear So And So, a group show focused on collabortaive artist projects. The exibition was curated by Helen Popinchalk and shown at the Distillery Gallery in Boston, MA.
+ Boston Hassle Review
This project was shown in Dear So And So, a group show focused on collabortaive artist projects. The exibition was curated by Helen Popinchalk and shown at the Distillery Gallery in Boston, MA.
+ Boston Hassle Review

Artist input, collage on paper.

GAN output from artist’s image.





Exhibition view.

Exhibition view.

Installation detail.

Artist image, cut and folded paper collage, 11 x 14”.

GAN image, inkjet print, 11 x 14”.