Artist Interview: Gzhenka’s Fun House

Gzhenka’s Fun House welcomes you to a perfect world of errie and uncanny art — currently based in Lithuania, Gzhenka works a visual effects artist in movie industry in addition to creating photorealistic AI art, also known as synthography.

Fully immersed in the possibilities of artificial intelligence art, the artist delves into the depths of her inner thoughts and draws inspiration from her dreams. She strives to transcend the confines of daily life and explore the symbols that hold personal significance in her art.

We asked Gzhenka about her art, creative process, and inspirations.

Can you tell us about your background as a digital artist? How did you get started in this field?

I've been working as a visual effects artist in the film industry for the past 10 years. I didn't come to this field out of any particular love for digital art; I saw movies as reflections of the world, much like dreams always fascinated me more than reality. At times, you don't know which is more real state, a dream or reality. So, movies always seemed somewhat magical to me, composed of numerous little elements. Working as a visual artist draws you into this process, making you whirl like a funnel in these relationships with the "digital," as if you're performing some kind of magic. I've always preferred traditional painting over digital art, I love splashing paint on walls, canvases, and my hands. This process feels like an extension of a dream-like state. But at some point, you may feel a dead end, like the thread in your life is abruptly severed. The previous knots come undone, and the carpet no longer exists in the form you're accustomed to. It's a strange state for someone accustomed to living by their own "significations," somewhat like your world has crumbled, and while you're in that black hole, waiting for new threads and knots, it's like falling into an abyss. But dreams continue, material is generated, yet you can't transfer it into the real world and begin to hide from this information. My formulas no longer worked. I didn't plan to become obsessed with AI and art, it was just that my friend decided to try using Midjourney for her work and told me about it. We decided to try it at the same time, and so I tried it and realized it was an entirely new world in which I could find a new friend, like a strange machine, and learn to be friends with it for an endless amount of time. It has always been easier for me to live in virtual space than in the real world, so AI art played into my hands in this regard.

“The color blue is a significant source of inspiration for me, infusing my creations with a calming and profound vibe.”

What inspires your art? Are there any particular themes or subjects that you enjoy exploring through your artwork?

I'm inspired by the color blue. I'm inspired by human dreams and how they relate to the real and symbolic world. I like the world of cinema because cinema is reality. I'm just trying to balance among these structures. Most of the time, I don't feel at home on this planet. I feel like I didn't choose it, and I always feel like someone is waiting for me, like extraterrestrials or something. But as long as I'm here, I see a human being in all of this, like a massive number of transparent layers overlaying each other. All of this inspires me in art, and I can be so excited about how everything is interconnected. When you start making art, you never know where it will take you in the end, how much you'll encounter on this journey, and you never know at which point you'll end up. It's a critically unpredictable journey. I'm inspired by Lacanian psychoanalysis, and I think my path with AI art is part of my psychoanalysis as well. Ultimately, they work together, but sometimes it becomes too personal. In a sense, it's a way of running from the chaos of everyday life, the place where I find solace and inspiration. I'm constantly trying to balance the real world, the imaginative realms of my mind, and the meaningful symbols I hold dear. This journey helps me bridge the gaps between what's real, what's imagined, and the symbolism that defines my work.

“I have a unique relationship with machines – it’s like we’re on the same wavelength, and we have an unspoken connection that goes beyond what’s normal.”

What does your creative process look like? How do you approach brainstorming and conceptualizing ideas?

I never actively seek special ideas from the outside. Everything I do in the field of AI art is more like a result of inner processes. It can be a dream, a memory, or just a random thought. It usually starts from there, or some random idea that I catch in my mind when I'm just walking down the street, which acts as a ticket to this attraction. After that, it all depends on where this path leads. You start with a small thought or just a desire to create an image reflecting your dream so that you don't forget it, and everything else simply attaches itself to this framework. It's rarer that I want to create something specific and then try to find ways to depict what I've already envisioned as an image. However, I like this process less. After all, I perceive AI as something like going to Disneyland and riding all the roller coasters every day in a different sequence and observing my feelings during the process.

“My art is like a safe haven where I can escape into the imaginative worlds I find in my dreams. It shields me from moments of anxiety, providing comfort. In a sense, it’s a way of running from the chaos of everyday life, the place where I find solace and inspiration.”

What is a profound childhood memory?

I often use the metaphor of an amusement park to describe my relationship with AI art. In my childhood, when I had to move from the city where I was born, I was promised that in the new city, there would be a cool amusement park with carousels, and as soon as we arrived, we would go there. When we arrived, my grandfather and I immediately went to this park, just as promised. However, it turned out that the park was already in ruins, and it was one of the most significant days in my life. Despite what might seem like a sad story about unfulfilled promises and disappointments, that walk was one of the warmest moments in my life. What I saw in that park made me see the world from a different perspective. The broken carousels protruding from the ground in the sunlight on a warm summer morning were something else. I think it was an exhilarating experience that showed me that there's always "something else." That the broken doesn't necessarily have to mean only broken. The whole world, our entire life, and all matter are complex constructions in which there's nothing straightforward. It's just the way you interpret the real, the way you transform the material you receive, an infinite number of possibilities, much like the generations in AI. I think I'm still walking in that amusement park with my grandfather, and I really enjoy it, as that's all I encounter there, among the sunny rays, since I can't connect these realities and photograph what's happening. I use AI to capture events.

“I’m constantly trying to balance the real world, the imaginative realms of my mind, and the meaningful symbols I hold dear. This journey helps me bridge the gaps between what’s real, what’s imagined, and the symbolism that defines my work.”