CMGrandI, a versatile artist and fashion designer, splits her time between the serenity of Coachella Valley and the bustling city of Vancouver, Canada. With a background spanning over a decade in commercial fashion, Grandi transitioned into the world of wearable art two years ago, marking a creative evolution.
Initially drawn to the Coachella Valley by its alluring climate, Grandi soon found herself captivated by the desert art scene. Now, she presents “The Future Is Here,” with an opening reception on Friday, April 26th, coinciding with the Perez Art District Art Walk.
Inspired by humanity’s relationship with technology, Grandi’s exhibition delves into themes of technological dependence and the nuanced manipulation inherent in digital interfaces. Through a fusion of wearable art and digital works, she creates a narrative that explores the intersection of human experience and technological progress.
Each piece in Grandi’s exhibition serves as a mirror reflecting our collective humanity, offering a reminder of the limitless possibilities that emerge when creativity converges with consciousness.
“Think about all of the tools and the gadgets in your life. Is it servicing your goals? Or are you servicing its existence?”
Grandi
Inspiration Behind “The Future Is Here”
Coachella Magazine: What inspired you to create the exhibition “The Future Is Here,” and what messages do you hope viewers take away from it?
GRANDI: The way humans interact with technology has been something I thought about for a long time before I even became an artist. I thought a lot about it from a public policy perspective. What does it mean for people’s jobs? And the way we see ourselves as human, a lot of the times is tied to the work we do or the value we’re able to contribute, or how much money we make. With the arrival of technology and machine, the way it’s going very fast. A lot of that is gonna be displaced in a very short time, right? So for me, it’s always been really interesting to observe how people engage.
I think years ago there was this meme about smartphones where it goes like, “I have a device in my pocket that has access to all the knowledge in the world, and I use it to watch cat videos.” I think that is a good description of how a lot of people interact with the technology in their lives, because so much of it is designed to be addictive, to take advantage of our psychological weakness, to then perpetuate the technology.
So the question I always like to ask people is, “Think about all of the tools and the gadgets in your life. Is it servicing your goals? Or are you servicing its existence?” You think about algorithms, for example, social media, algorithms, a lot of the times it’s meant for you to keep scrolling. Instagram, TikTok, it’s meant for you to keep watching the next one. At some point it’s no longer doing what it’s supposed to, which is connecting you with the things you’re interested in or the people you care about. It’s just getting you to continue to consume content and sap up your attention and time.
So I like to bring attention to the way we interact with tech, because I think a lot of the times people feel helpless, like I’m being manipulated. So what I’d like to highlight is that there is something you can do about it, but awareness is the first step, right?
Wearable Art and Digital Works
CM: Could you elaborate on how wearable art and digital works play a role in conveying your message about the human experience in the technological world?
GRANDI: Great. That’s a good question. Let me deal with wearable art first, because I think fashion is a way people express themselves. You wake up in the morning if you decide to put on dress pants or jeans, you’re trying to say something to the world about how you’re feeling today or who I am. And that to me has always been really interesting about fashion. You know, even as a fashion designer, when people come to me and say, “Oh, can you design a dress for me to perform on stage here or there?” So much of it is about expressing who they are as a performer or who they are as a person. And from that perspective, I think it makes people feel more involved. Because every time you see a piece of clothing, you always think, “Can I see myself in it?”
We’ve got two female models there, but both of the outfits are made to be unisex. So you could put it on a man, and that’d be fine. So I often have men come through the exhibit and say, “Boy, I wonder how that would look on a man?” And I always say, “Well, you know, it’s made to be unisex. You could wear it.” So there is always a participatory mindset. I think when you put it into fashion form, when people look at the handbags, they think, “Oh, could I wear that? Where would I wear that too?” So I think that is always really interesting to get people more involved in the message of the work.
And for the digital video, that one has been really powerful for people, because of just the way the script is written. I wrote the script, but we output it in a robot voice. So it’s very unnerving, it’s very unsettling for people. And that’s one of the favorites.
And I think for the AI artwork exhibit, because it is so different, I think we see a lot of AI works out there that have a certain character, like you could tell it’s an AI generated image. It has elements of sci-fi, or fantasy. And I think this set of images is so different because what I’m really after is not the final output. These were all surprises. I didn’t set out to go, “Oh, I want it to look like this.” I set out to probe the process of how the machine works. So I think from that perspective, it’s been really interesting for people to see how the machine thinks.
CM: Could you elaborate on your perspective regarding the potential risks or drawbacks associated with technology?
GRANDI: I think the most important thing is for people to understand what is happening. So you have to understand that when you put on the watch, certain things about you are being tracked when you put on the glasses, certain things that’s very similar to surveillance is happening. And I think people have to understand how it’s happening, how much of it is happening, and what company is the steward of your data, right? And I think only by first understanding what that is, where that is, can we then make an informed decision about, “I consent or I don’t consent.”
In terms of the danger, wearable art and fashion is such an easy way for tech to be incorporated, because really the next step before that, before actually implanting ourselves with chips or upgrading our internal organs or human parts, the step before that is to make it wearable, right? To make it seamless, to make it attach to your body, an extension of you.
Mass Media and Programing
CM: What is the significance of the model adorned with a TV over its head at the exhibit’s entrance? Is it intended to symbolize a robot?
GRANDI: That piece is primarily about mass media. So imagine for a second, we all disappear today from the planet. And tomorrow an alien species lands on earth, they go into our homes. In every home they’ll see this giant big black thing in the center of every room, bedrooms, living room, kitchen, sometimes bathroom. There’s this like, big black thing on the wall. If you didn’t know any better, you would think that it has like a religious purpose, this is something that we worship, this is our God — but it’s a television, right? And I think the way we have become accustomed to TV programming, to this constant noise in the background, to not have any quiet time with our thoughts to reflect, because we’re constantly being made to consume content, I think is really unhealthy. And the TV head is both a commentary on the power of mass media and programming. And also the more literal fact that it’s melting her brains out of the TV, right? It’s like a brain melt.
CM: Do you spend a lot of time on social media or using technology in your daily life?
GRANDI: You know, I don’t enjoy it very much, so I think it’s a lot easier for me to make these commentary than people who really are either addicted or really depend on it. I use it for obviously promoting my work and sharing my work with people who follow me. But other than that, you know, not really. I haven’t had a TV for about 20 years in my house.
Artistic Fusion: AI and Masterworks
CM: Your exhibition features AI generated images. How do these images contribute to the conversation about the relationship between humans and technology?
GRANDI: Usually you’re supposed to be very literal with your prompts. Like, “Gimme a cat, gimme grass, give me a girl.” And then the AI will give you a picture of these things. Instead, we gave it these old master’s paintings and asked it to turn it into the ideal AI oil painting. So much of it is very abstract, and you can’t really associate pictures with these abstract words.
So when the AI generates these images based on abstract word, it reveals something about its inner workings, right? I think the second thing that’s really interesting is to observe people’s reaction to it. Frequently people will look at one and go, “Okay, I see a man in this picture, or I see a face, or I see a mother and a child.” That’s a very human thing to do. When I ask the AI to generate these images, it’s just doing math. It’s not doing anything other than math, right? But for a human, we automatically think that when you create an image, there has to be an intent, there has to be a purpose, there has to be a subject, you know? So we try and interpret what’s in the image. And to me, that’s really interesting because it teases out the difference between human and machines. And I think that’s really critical for us to articulate the difference between humans and machines. If we don’t want all of our jobs replaced.
Wearable Art: Craftsmanship and Technique
CM: Can you tell us more about the materials that you use in your wearable art pieces and how they symbolize the intersection of humanity and technology?
GRANDI: If we look at the ethernet cable piece, that one’s really <laugh> like the complete story because it’s made from ethernet cables. I salvaged it off of Facebook marketplace. Secondhand ethernet cables, I drove all around Southern California to pick these up, and I emptied out the insides so I could use it. But if you look at the sculpture, it literally is a bunch of internet cables coming into her head. If we made all of the wireless ways that we’re connected every day, visible, that’s what it would look like. You’re literally plugging yourself into a network. And I think the fact that it’s also woven into a fishing net that traps the person inside is reflective of how this constant connectivity becomes a bit of a trap.
CM: Have you always been creative and making art as a kid?
GRANDI: I’ve always done various kinds of craft art. I was trained as a classical musician. For the video on the TV, I played the track, the background track on the piano that went into it. But I was trained as a classical musician, and I think what that did, was bring a lot of awareness around arts and culture and history and how everything is interconnected. And that informed a lot of my choices when I became a designer and an artist, because for me, it’s not just a visual experience, it’s more than that. Your concept has to connect with the materials, with the times, with with the whole work.
The Next Frontier
CM: Looking ahead, what do you envision as the next frontier for exploring the intersection of technology and human experience into your work?
GRANDI: I think the next frontier is really, we have to be really vigilant about where this AI thing is going. And I think as artists, one of the ways to be vigilant is to understand it, is to engage with it. I think it’s very difficult for some artists to engage with it because it’s seen as a replacement or, you know, AI is now doing in five seconds, what takes people 25 hours to paint. AI can do it like that, but I think it’s really important for artists to use these tools to understand them, because if you don’t understand them, you don’t get to participate, right? You’re just kind of saying, what is your opinion, it may or may not be based on reality, right? So I think this is gonna be definitely the next biggest thing. I think other art forms like digital art or wearable art is interesting visually to bring attention to these issues or to be able to visualize it in a different way. So for example, like the ethernet cable dress, right? Being able to see that this is how you connect yourself, it’s more visceral to understanding. I think definitely AI is the big frontier.
CM: What does your creative process involve when preparing for the exhibition? Do you find inspiration in silence, or do you prefer to immerse yourself in music during your work?
GRANDI: I have to work in silence. I think because so much of my upbringing involved music, I can’t not hear it sometimes, it’s very annoying. Every morning at the studio here, Bill (Schinsky) plays classical music and it’s like nice and relaxing, but my brain is always like, “Oh yeah, I know that one.” And, and it kind of tries to do the thing when a song is stuck in your head. So I tend to work in silence.
CM: Describe yourself in three words?
GRANDI: <Laugh>. That’s a tough question. I would say independent. I would say a bit of a rebel. I guess they kind of go together. And the third one, I would say maybe a bit of an idealist.
Philosophy of Freedom
CM: What do you love most about being an artist?
GRANDI: Oh, the freedom. I mean, both lifestyle freedom, creative freedom, expression freedom. I think as an artist you’re basically independent kind of self-employed person. You’re not being told by your boss what you have to say or what kind of art you have to make. Some artists, I guess, are in that lifestyle, but just being an independent artist, that freedom is the best part.
LINKS:
Ateliergrandi.com
AI Artworks