‘Fabricated’ Art by Sydney Swisher: Tracing the Ephemeral Nature of Life in the Digital Age

Based in Newton, Illinois, painter Sydney Swisher aims to capture the ephemeral nature of life in the digital age through her paintings. To achieve this, she uses pictures of her family and runs them through Midjourney, Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) program to create reference images that are nostalgic and belonging to no one, but everyone. Using these AI generated references, Swisher paints on canvases made by upcycling vintage fabric, curtains, table cloths, bed sheets and more.

Equally Supportive by Sydney Swisher. Image courtesy of Sydney Swisher’s website.

Swisher’s pieces appear sombre, as they employ muted colours highlighted by warm embers. These pieces seem to be recording the dawn of humanity’s existence. They question what is left for humanity when so much of it has been transformed and churned out as data. Through her pieces, Swisher asks “Is this digital existence for better or for worse? Has it helped us create one shared history or has it only further marginalized diverse narratives?” This is why paintings by Sydney Swisher are relevant to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Responsible Consumption and Production and Reduced Inequalities.

The Enemy of History by Sydney Swisher. Image courtesy of Sydney Swisher’s website.

To recall her process, Swisher had fed AI with her own family's pictures. She then prompted it to create new nostalgic images meant to represent a larger demographic. The results were of course nostalgic images of a demographic that her family had belonged to—working class white Americans. They can be read as allusions Americana, a collection of materials and non-materials that encapsulate the American dream. This is a working class person’s dream, which promised people that if they worked hard, they would eventually be able to afford so much more than just basic necessities, which includes houses, health care, university degrees, and to even their own businesses, all while having a little something left for retirement.

Detail of The Enemy of History by Sydney Swisher. Image courtesy of @sydswisher/Instagram.

However, a closer inspection of Swisher’s pieces will reveal that today, the promise of this dream is empty. Take for example a detail from her painting of a living room titled The Enemy of History. If viewers look closely at the family picture hung on the wall, they will see that the mother’s face is askew. As audiences understand Swisher’s process, they realize that what she has done is include some of the faults in the AI renderings. On the surface level, this is proof of how artificial intelligence can never replace human experiences or memories. No matter how good a copy is, something will always be amiss.

Reminder by Sydney Swisher. Image courtesy of Sydney Swisher’s website.

On a deeper level, this can also be read as commentary to how the idea of an American dream today is nothing but an illusion. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, has stated that the US now has the lowest rate of social mobility of all the world's rich countries. There is an ongoing affordability crisis, in which mortgage rates are hitting its highest levels in the last two decades that is making young Americans give up on ever owning a home. Half of American adults today are stating that it is difficult to afford health care costs, with one in four people saying that a member of their family had problems paying for health care in the past year. All this goes to show that the American dream, as depicted by Swisher, is out of reach for most.

Sydney Swisher's ‘Fabricated’ art poignantly captures the fleeting nature of life in the digital age, reflecting on the erosion of the once-tangible goal of the American Dream. By using AI-generated references from her own family photos and painting on upcycled vintage fabrics, Swisher creates austere, nostalgic pieces that question the impact of digital existence on a shared American history and identity. Her art not only highlights the inherent flaws in AI-generated art but also serves as a commentary on the illusions of prosperity and social mobility in contemporary America. Through her work, Swisher invites viewers to reflect on the disparity between the promise of the American Dream and the harsh realities faced by many today.

Find out more about ‘Fabricated’ art and other pieces by Sydney Swisher on her website www.sydneyswisher.com, or her Instagram @sydswisher.