David Salle Debuts AI-Assisted New Pastorals at Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery London
Image Source: ROPAC
American artist David Salle, known in the art world since the 1980s, has debuted a series of paintings titled New Pastorals at Thaddaeus Ropac gallery in London. Created starting in 2023, these works incorporate artificial intelligence technology to reinterpret Salle’s earlier paintings.
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Image Source: ROPAC
AI’s Role in Creation
The New Pastorals combine human painting with AI-generated imagery. Salle collaborated with software engineer Danika Laszuk of EAT__Works and Grant Davis, creator of the Wand app, to develop an AI model that produces digital underpaintings. These are printed onto large canvases, over which Salle applies oil paint. The AI’s contribution is visible in flat, precise sections that contrast with Salle’s gestural strokes. The model was trained on Salle’s Pastorals series from 1999–2000, allowing it to generate variations that retain elements like landscapes and figures while introducing abstract forms.
The AI was also trained on techniques from artists Andy Warhol (colour), Edward Hopper (volume), Giorgio de Chirico (perspective), and Arthur Dove (line). Salle enhanced the model by inputting scans of his gouache paintings, enabling it to mimic the texture of brushstrokes. This training, compared to an art school critique, allows the AI to produce images quickly that might take years to create manually. The resulting paintings appear hand-painted but reveal machine precision upon close inspection.
Image Source: ROPAC
The Creative Process
Salle’s exploration of AI began in 2021 with a proposed digital game to rearrange elements of his paintings. Though the game was not developed, it led to his partnership with Laszuk and Davis. The AI model generates images along a spectrum, from closely resembling Salle’s original works to highly abstract outputs, controlled by Salle’s input. For example, Red Scarf includes recognizable elements like trees and a couple from the original Pastorals, rendered semi-abstractly, while Stack presents fragmented, chaotic forms.
Salle views AI as a tool, similar to a paintbrush, and maintains that it does not change his approach to composition or space. He selects AI outputs that inspire new directions, ensuring his creative decisions drive the process. This interaction highlights AI’s reliance on human guidance to produce relevant results.
Image Source: ROPAC
Implications for Art and AI
Salle’s work prompts discussion about AI’s place in art and whether it could replace artists. He considers AI an extension of his process, not a threat, emphasizing that it follows his instructions. His paintings, which draw from varied sources, align with the idea that all art builds on existing works, a view supported by art historian Rosalind Krauss’s argument that originality is not absolute. AI’s ability to remix Salle’s paintings mirrors this practice.
The AI model, proprietary to EAT__Works, ensures Salle’s contributions remain exclusive for now. While public images of his paintings could be used as prompts for other AI systems, Davis notes that the most effective results require human involvement. This suggests AI currently functions as a collaborative tool rather than an independent creator.
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Portrait of David Salle
Image Source: ROPAC
Source: ROPAC, The Guardian
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