Meet Jess (they/them)!
Meet Jess, (IG: @dissociative_dreams) a trailblazing interdisciplinary artist from Vancouver with a longstanding career in the arts. As a queer artist with a distinguished academic background, Jess boldly navigates the complex intersections of institutional violence and personal trauma through their art.
Venturing into the realm of AI, Jess's digital artistry becomes a powerful tool for challenging biases and reimagining representation, especially for marginalized identities. Their approach is not just about creation but a profound critique of the technology itself.
Jess's art captivates with its unorthodox exploration of trauma, queerness, and socio-political themes. Each piece, characterized by unconventional forms and vivid colors, invites viewers into a thought-provoking world. Jess's work doesn't just depict experiences; it provokes a dialogue on how we perceive identity and society.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got interested in AI art?
I've been an interdisciplinary artist for 25+ years, many of which have included working with digital arts, so AI was an obvious new tool to explore and critique.
I am a queer, mad artist whose practice engages with the intersection of institutional violence and the socio-political reality of personal trauma. I have an MFA in Public Art and New Artistic Strategies from the Bauhaus University (2008) and were an Assistant Professor of Studio Arts at Concordia University (2010-2013). I am currently an instructor at Emily Carr University of Art + Design and am working on my PhD in Contemporary Art at Simon Fraser University.
Who or what are your artistic inspirations, and how do they influence your work?
I'm influenced by art, culture, media and activism within social justice movements. I've been influenced by famous artists like Adrian Piper, Ryan Trecartin and Hito Steyerl, but also by the communities of artists and students I've engaged with over the years.
How do you approach the creative process when working with AI?
I worked with Dall-e 2 for the first 7 months experimenting with AI, but as this was quite expensive and started feeling limiting I tried out Midjourney. As the new AI animation apps became available, I started using Runway, but it's hard to keep up with all these platforms and options. I like to take my time with each and slowly understand its capacities, and how to subvert them, but they all are being developed and change so quickly.
How do you balance your work in AI art with other professional or personal pursuits?
I don't have a personal life anymore, lol. Doing my PhD, creating art in the studio, making AI art on my computer and then dealing with my art career is already too much to juggle. I also have disabilities and chronic pain, so I don't have a lot of extra energy in general. The last few weeks have been especially taxing as it's also end of semester and there is a genocide in Gaza, so I've also been going to protests when I can.
How has working with AI in art influenced your mental and emotional wellbeing?
I find the process of making therapeutic, but sometimes the pressures to produce for social media feel a bit overwhelming. Like why do I feel obliged to post new work every day and keep up with all the tools?! When can I stop and think about it all? There's a certain pressure to feel relevant and get likes and engagement, that is produced through manipulation by platforms (and capitalism). It's not healthy, but then again I also find community and inspiration in these spaces.
What role do you think AI art can play in highlighting social issues?
I'm not sure how AI can help highlight social issues, as these tools reproduce historical biases, for example representing women as young, white and skinny unless otherwise instructed. I've been experimenting with representations of trauma and the body, queerness, alien clown drag, and more recently the symbolic use of the watermelon as representation of Palestine.
If you could collaborate with any artist, living or not, who would it be and why?
I love collaborating! (When I have the bandwidth for it)
So there are lots of people I'd love to collaborate with. My intention with my research creation project in my program is to collaborate with other queer artist to create AI images and then to collectively deconstruct the printed images so as to form an installation and performances.
Jess Mac’s digital work has been shared through various online platforms, such as VICE Creator’s project, PAPER Mag, Art F City, Giphy and Tumblr. Their animations have been screened internationally at festivals such as the Ottawa International Animation Festival, MIX-26 the New York Queer Experimental Film Festival, LA Film Fest at UCLA, Transcreen Amsterdam Transgender Film Festival, Inside Out Film and Video Festival (Toronto) and Mix Brazil Film Festival of Sexual Diversity (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, BR). Their interdisciplinary practice has been supported and exhibited by the Academie der Künst der Welte (Cologne, Germany), arbyte (London, UK), Western Front (Vancouver, Canada) and many other local and international galleries.
More about Jess
Jess MacCormack’s practice engages with the intersection of institutional violence and the socio-political reality of personal trauma. Working with communities and individuals affected by stigma and oppression, MacCormack uses cultural platforms and distribution networks to facilitate collaborations which position art as a tool to engender personal and political agency. Their* recent works integrate animation, video, performance, installation, publications, web art and digital art in collaborations, social interventions, community projects and anonymous collectives - that explore issues of Neoliberal policies, corporate control, criminalization, HIV/AIDS, racism, transphobia, and sexual assault.
For more of Jess’s incredible work, make sure to visit their Instagram account: @dissociative_dreams