Fusing Technology and Terror: Ryan Molyneaux Explores The Horrors of Climate Change Through AI Art.

In the digital world of Ryan Molyneaux, art is not born from solitary contemplation but from a dynamic dialogue with an artificial muse. Known in the artistic realm as an Anthroponeural, Molyneaux stands as one of the increasing number of digital creators redefining the essence of collaboration and art in the age of artificial intelligence.

Molyneaux's technique is a sophisticated dance with the algorithms of AI, where he inputs not just commands but a part of his creative spirit. He combines his own inspired photography into the AI platforms Midjourney and DALL-E, then weaves a storyline into the algorithm to create something unique. In his own words, Molyneaux describes the process as “synthesizing” with AI – a term that evokes the fusion of human imagination with machine precision to create something wholly unprecedented.

Molyneaux works with video game designers and film producers to help bring their visions to life through his expertise in AI art and horror. Molyneaux’s recent project, Nazca Lines, was inspired by something closer to his heart. He uses his skills in horror-themed art to create a scary wake-up call about the effects of climate change on human beings.

In using startling, horrific images of “what was once human beings,” Nazca Lines urges us to recognize what we are becoming before it is too late, which reflects the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for Climate Action.

The artwork focuses on an area in the Nazca Desert of southern Peru, where an enigmatic collection of geoglyphs created between 500 BC and 500 AD was discovered. These vast drawings include simple lines, geometric shapes, and more than 70 zoomorphic designs depicting various animals, plants, and even human figures, spanning an area of about 50km².

Despite numerous studies, the lines' full significance remains a mystery.

This ancient site faces threats from climate change and human activities. Climate change introduces risks of increased erosion and extreme weather patterns, while human activities have directly damaged the geoglyphs. Incidents such as truck drivers veering off the nearby highway onto the geoglyphs have caused significant harm. The site's proximity to a major highway raises concerns about further damage from vehicles and pollution. Despite their historical resilience, these ancient lines are vulnerable to modern challenges, and without proactive measures, they may suffer irreparable harm​.

Molyneaux took much of the inspiration for Nazca Lines from the Indigenous people who used to reside there. “You know, the Indigenous people created these shapes to pray to Gods for water and facilitate it themselves. They’ve held so many secrets in connections to the land that oneness that we've lost,” he said in an interview with Arts Help.

The artist recognizes their sacred knowledge, which many human civilizations have rejected in favour of “progress.” In turn, began losing our community, not just with each other, but with the land we rely on crucially for survival. 

“We're scrambling to find it now as we try to wrestle with how to be more regenerative and get back to how people lived in harmony 200 to 300 years ago. So, when it comes to my art, I’m revealing these things. I hope I don't have to explain to people; I hope they see it,” he added.

We forget how crucially connected to the earth we are and must continue to be to survive. The clock is ticking, and we’ve lost sight of who we are; perhaps Molyneaux’s images can remind us of this.

The theme of Nazca Lines is “the horrors of climate change,” personified through monstrous animal-like creatures roaming the landscape of the Nazca Lines. They have an eerie aura; they resemble humans, or what once was a human. But they have lost touch with their humanity and, as a result, their connection to Earth. These creatures were corrupted by overconsumption, greed, and a thirst for power. They now resemble a decaying, unrecognizable version of themselves—humans that have lost their humanity. 

Humanity stands at a crossroads between profound spirituality and an insatiable appetite for consumption. Our hands, capable of crafting the sublime and nurturing the delicate threads of life, are the very instruments of desecration, stripping the Earth of its splendours. 

Molyneaux’s art vividly captures the self-inflicted desecration of our innate connection to the Earth. The chilling images are a grim reminder of our perilous path—a path marked by rampant consumption and ecological disregard.