Brian Gothong Tan: The Lee Brothers Studio 2065
Singapore multimedia artist’s approach to artificial intelligence art
By Sharrona Valezka
Brian Gothong-Tan is a Singapore-based multimedia artist whose works explore the intersections among theatre, film, and installation art. Known for his eclectic and cutting-edge approach, Brian’s artistic practice is heavily influenced by his formal studies at the California Institute of the Arts, where he graduated with a BFA in Experimental Animation.
In this conversation, Brian speaks to us about the creative process of ‘The Lee Brothers Studio 2065’, an image series created using artificial intelligence, and how his experiences in theatre and film have played an important role in delivering the project's visual narrative through Surrealist elements.
Brian Gothong Tan, ‘The Lee Brothers Studio 2065’, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.
Brian Gothong Tan, ‘The Lee Brothers Studio 2065’, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.
Could you describe your project ‘The Lee Brothers Studio 2065’? What is the concept behind it and how did you come up with it?
The project started when I experimented with A.I. for my previous project, #Metazomia for T:>Works. I was using an earlier model of Midjourney which had trouble generating Asian faces. Although when they came up with Version 4, it became much easier. I thought it was a great opportunity to test its capabilities of generating faces of all races. This idea reminded me of the photographs by the Lee Brothers in the early 20th century where they took thousands of studio portraits of all types of people living in Singapore then. The project is still ongoing, which you can see on my Instagram page. Once I have a substantial body of images, I plan to compile them into a book and publish it. It is also somewhat informal documentation of the sophistication of the A.I. modeling algorithm.
Brian Gothong Tan, ‘The Lee Brothers Studio 2065’, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.
Brian Gothong Tan, ‘The Lee Brothers Studio 2065’, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.
What would you like to communicate through this series? Are there any specific elements in these images that you would want people to pay attention to, and why?
I think image making, as a human activity, is something that differentiates us from other creatures on this planet. A lot of the elements in these A.I. images rise out of randomness due to the diffusion model, as well as how it samples images on the internet. It captures what people have been uploading all these years and how we categorise things. It is interesting to see what comes up. Of course, the words you type in will highly affect the results, but the element of chance is what makes it interesting and the way it works has made me aware of how the human brain processes input to make meaning out of experiences.
Could you tell us more about the process of completing the project using artificial intelligence (A.I.)?
Creating the images is a fairly straightforward process. When using word-to-image applications like Midjourney, all you need to do is describe a scene in your head — similar to how you search for images on Google or Pinterest, but with a more complex process of synthesising various images, similar to how it is done in Photoshop. To simplify, I think the A.I. is just a tool to speed up this process.
Brian Gothong Tan, ‘The Lee Brothers Studio 2065’, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.
Brian Gothong Tan, ‘The Lee Brothers Studio 2065’, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.
You graduated with a BFA in Experimental Animation from the California Institute of the Arts in 2005. How has your formal training aided you in executing the technical aspects of the project? Is there any specific technique that you applied using AI?
My experience at the California Institute of the Arts has exposed me to different ways of thinking. I encountered a lot of great artists like Catherine Sullivan and Jim Shaw that have challenged and inspired how I approach my artistic practice. I would say that there was not a specific technique, but rather how it affects my thinking process. A significant example is the way Jim Shaw sampled mass media, pop culture, and his subconscious, which has influenced my framework on how to approach A.I. playfully and randomly, yet always connected to emotions and narrative-making.
Brian Gothong Tan, ‘The Lee Brothers Studio 2065’, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.
Brian Gothong Tan, ‘The Lee Brothers Studio 2065’, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.
Each of the images portrays individuals from different cultures and ethnicities. Additionally, I have also noticed that flora, fauna, reflection, and glass are recurring elements in the image series. Could you elaborate more on what these aspects symbolise and how they play a part in delivering the narrative you intend to convey?
The flora and fauna elements are directly linked to our environment in this part of the world, specifically Singapore. I was inspired by the idea of the Garden of Eden and was trying to conjure a somewhat utopian ideal. The reflection and glass are elements with man-made qualities as something hard and impenetrable — representing a barrier, an invisible wall, or a cage. I wanted to capture the feeling of being trapped in our existence as Singaporeans, where even in paradise, there are always going to be tears.
“The reflection and glass are elements with man-made qualities as something hard and impenetrable — representing a barrier, an invisible wall, or a cage. I wanted to capture the feeling of being trapped in our existence as Singaporeans, where even in paradise, there are always going to be tears.”
Brian Gothong Tan, ‘The Lee Brothers Studio 2065’, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.
Brian Gothong Tan, ‘The Lee Brothers Studio 2065’, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.
You shared that your work often infuses Surrealist themes derived from your subconsciousness, which is also evident in ‘The Lee Brothers Studio 2065’. Could you talk about its significance to the key themes that the project explores and how Surrealism influenced your artistic practice?
Surrealism as an art movement has always fascinated me because the images are startling, imaginative, and challenging. The feeling is quite similar to when we dream in our sleep. I think the subconscious sometimes feels more real than actual life itself because it strips reality of its illusion and reveals the truth lurking underneath it.
Brian Gothong Tan, ‘The Lee Brothers Studio 2065’, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.
Brian Gothong Tan, ‘The Lee Brothers Studio 2065’, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.
What were the biggest challenges you faced during the process of completing the project, and how did you solve them? Also, were there any parts that turned out differently from what you originally envisioned?
The biggest challenge is coming up with ideas. A.I. has made it easier for everyone to create images with basic knowledge. The key is to create meaningful, unique, and inspiring works, which is something that artists have been grappling with since the beginning of art. Since creating A.I. images is quite random, I embrace the randomness and enjoy the connections it conjures up.
How have your experiences in theatre and film influenced the artistic approach to ‘The Lee Brothers Studio 2065’? Are there any particular skills from these fields that proved beneficial in executing the series?
Definitely! I think they have aided in achieving my objective of making a more meaningful narrative during the image-making process. In my opinion, it is quite boring to only create novel eye candies all the time as it will give viewers visual diabetes. Film and theatre are time-based forms that combine many art forms to create an illusion of life as a narrative journey, in which the audiences are swept up and taken along for that period of immersion. As a result, I try to apply the same rules when I create the ‘Lee Brothers Studio 2065’ project as well as my other A.I. works. It is a world creation on a small scale.
“Film and theatre are time-based forms that combine many art forms to create an illusion of life as a narrative journey, in which the audiences are swept up and taken along for that period of immersion.”
Brian Gothong Tan, ‘The Lee Brothers Studio 2065’, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.
Brian Gothong Tan, ‘The Lee Brothers Studio 2065’, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.
As a multimedia artist, how has the development of technology and the ever-evolving media landscape impacted your practice generally and with this project as well?
I am fascinated with technology and am aware of its impact not only on my work but on humankind as well. It is a double-edged sword that can cause a lot of harm when used without awareness. Right now, I think A.I. creates new advantages for multimedia artists like myself. Although I was classically trained as an artist, the use of technology has enabled me to bring forth my ideas to the world and communicate the things I could not express with other art forms.
Lastly, are there any projects that you are currently working on? Is there a particular concept or idea that you would like to explore in the future?
I am currently working on ‘Angel Island’, a multimedia music theatre that I am co-directing with Huang Ruo, a composer based in the United States. The show will be held in May at the Singtel Waterfront Theatre at Esplanade as a part of the Singapore International Festival of Arts 2023. I am also developing an experimental and ambitious cinematic work for the T:>Works Atelier with my collaborators, Kaylene Tan and Teh Yee Sheng.
See more of Brian’s work on Instagram at @briangothongtan.
