Evidence #034

Barry Sutton’s EVIDENCE is a journey of curiosity to decode the DNA of the creative process. In the development of AI systems, deep learning models and neural networks have been trained on billions of annotated images. In EVIDENCE, the artist mines this vast public data, extracting visual codes that, like handprints on the cave walls of Maros, provide clues to the multitude of latent dreams, experiences, subconscious decisions, and algorithmic calculations that give birth to human creativity.

At its core, EVIDENCE turns the creative process into both subject and medium. The data itself—patterns, connections, and the interplay of themes across cultures and history—becomes the raw material for the art. Each piece reflects the simultaneous presence of structure and intuition, where analytical systems and subconscious impulses converge to shape the final form. The works invite viewers to see creativity not as a single act but as a layered and evolving process.

Through this work, Sutton offers a window into how creativity manifests from the interplay of history, data, and technology. By rendering the invisible layers of the creative process visible, Evidence expands the way we consider the origins and trajectories of art.

“AI enables me to reference an unprecedented memory of creative works, from ancient handprints on cave walls to masterpieces of art history and the visual noise of social media. I am tracing a thread that connects us across cultures, eras, and modes of expression, revealing the shared DNA of creativity that defines us all. This extensive mining of visual history and artistic lineage gives form to each piece, transforming data into aesthetic insight, algorithm into art.”

– Barry Sutton