Author Archives: Vee

A Conversation About AI: Humans Fight Back

It’s happening.

‘Artists, Writers and Activists Open Petition Against the Use of AI Artwork’ the initiative is led by Molly, Hypebeast reports.

The conversation has gone mainstream. Artists are fighting back. And the people, it seems, are waking up.

“AI Machines Aren’t ‘Hallucinating,’ But Their Makers Are’ reports Naomi Klein at The Guardian.

Writers, journalists and other creatives are reacting to this new AI hell-scape too…

“Artists, journalist and writers are leading the fight against employers who seek to replace them with AI,” says columnist Brian Merchant at the LA Times. His latest column, ‘Your Boss Wants to Replace You: The Writers’ Strike Shows How to Fight Back,’ discusses the Hollywood strike by the Writers’ Guild of America. Writers are heading to the picket line!

The first organizational steps are now being taken by the Freelance Solidarity Project of the National Writers Union.

“Every day, another place that used to hire human artists has filled the spot with schlock from [AI image generator] Midjourney. If illustrators want to remain illustrators in two years, they have to fight now.”

–Molly Crabapple

Time to act! Support the Writers’ Guild today.

In Solidarity,

—Vee.

Artist On the Frontlines: A Conversation About AI

Molly recently traveled to Perugia, Italy to speak at the International Journalism Festival about the threats we face with the rapid development of AI technology.

Molly sat down with Marisa Mazria Katz of the Center for Artistic Inquiry and Reporting to have a conversation about AI and the outright theft being committed by Artificial Intelligence art generators like DALL-E and Midjourney. These conversations about AI not only have to be had, but also should include those directly affected by its rapid deployment.

We must resist! We have put together a call to arms. We are calling for the restriction of AI image generators and illustrations in publishing.

Please join us. Add your signature today.

Sign the AI Open Letter.

ArtNet News reports:

‘Molly Crabapple Has Posted an Open Letter by 1,000 Cultural Luminaries Urging Publishers to Restrict the Use of ‘Vampirical’ A.I.-Generated Images’

Because generative-art AI is just the beginning.

Because humanity should come first.

Because we must fight back.

Never surrender,

—Vee.

Parli Italiano? La Petizione

NEW MURALS!!! Come find us.

Brightening our city one artwork at a time!

Molly and I recently completed some new murals in Brooklyn. Why not go for a scroll and come see them in person?

a view of Quimby's NYC bookstore storefront with a new mural of a woman reading a poetry book

First stop: the much beloved Quimby’s NYC Bookstore in Brooklyn. No boring books allowed!!! Stop in for the best selection of alternative press, zines, records and various curiosities.

a mural is being applied to a wall via wheat past on a NYC street

The process begins. It always attracts lots of attention.

a strolling construction worker chatting on his cell phone stops to see whats going on
a strolling construction worker chats on his cell phone but stops to gaze back at a mural
a construction worker puts down his cell phone and stops to chat with a mural artist on a new york city sidewalk
a construction worker strikes up a conversation t with street art mural artist

This construction guy knew the Arabic poem in Molly’s mural. Everyone likes to stop and ask questions when you’re putting a mural up.

the characters in the mural demand justice and more color in the world with fists in the air in solidarity
The people demand color!
a hand paints a street art mural of a colorul cat
kitty supervisor looks out onto a New York street through a glass door

Our supervisor looks on curiously. Does she approve of her portrait? I think so.

a badass woman stands next to a completed street art mural of a woman holding a book and a cat and a NYC landscape

The end result… a more beautiful world!

The night, the horses and the desert all know me; as does the sword, the spear, the paper and the pen. I am the one who can be seen even by the blind. Al-Mutanabbi street art mural

“The night, the horses and the desert all know me; as does the sword, the spear, the paper and the pen. I am the one who can be seen (even) by the blind…”

Al-Mutanabbi
Street art mural of woman reading a Al-Mutanabbi poetry book with a cat looking on with colorful NYC buildings

We also stopped by the incomparable Queen of Crowns Tattoo in Brooklyn, owned by Molly’s old friend, Lux Berlin, whose family comes from Ukraine. Molly drew this image of a destroyed Russian tank in front of the golden domed Mikhaelovsky monastery when she visited Kyiv last summer. .

tanks appear in Kyiv street art mural in New York City

The message is clear… “GLORY TO UKRAINE!!”

glory to Ukraine street art mural in New York City
Come find me.