James Kirkpatrick/ They Never Were Robots

Interactive artist James Kirkpatrick blurs the line between human and robot in his latest exhibition at the James Rottman Fine Art Gallery.  The artist incorporates sight, sound and touch in this experiential exhibition.

“The recent conversation around technological takeover is an inspiration of thought for James Kirkpatrick and his recent exhibition “They Never Were Robots”, especially the introduction of AI-generated art, ChatGPT, deepfake technology, and the fact that engineers are programming robots to think and feel emotions as humans do.  Where do the lines blur between human and machine?”

The works included in this exhibition reflect Kirkpatrick’s background in graffiti – displaying art in non-traditional places, going beyond canvases to sails (yes, boat sails), masks, and his unique sound sculptures. Kirkpatrick’s interactive sound sculptures blast broken-down elements of a complete song. It’s up to participants to create a full beat while interacting with the devices. The unpredictable nature behind the programming of these pieces reflects the lack of full control that humans have over technological intelligence in the 21st century.

 James Kirkpatrick, born and raised in London, Ontario is a multimedia artist whose background in street-style graffiti morphed into more traditional art forms. You know –  the serious artist obsessed with science fiction, 90s hip-hop, and, well, the sentience of robots, the artist is also considered an avant-garde hip-hop musician, inventor, designer, and collaborator. Elements of his work remain deeply rooted in his underground culture yet they are still painterly, contemporary and impactful pieces of art.

We have an incredibly fun and engaging exhibition for you this month, from Kirkpatrick’s idiosyncratic and multifaceted paintings on wood boards to the artist’s sound sculptures that you can interact with.