February 3rd, 2024

Happy Saturday! If you’re a Midjourney user, I’m sure you’ve had a chance to check out the new Style Reference update that was released on Wednesday. It’s pretty dang impressive and works so well that I’ve heard folks complaining that it almost perfectly replicates their signature style. After doing some testing with other users images I can understand their fears 100%.

However, I’d encourage anyone who’s apprehensive about this new update to remember that the overall Web3 community has a pretty good track record of exposing those who stray too close to another artists domain. Focus on learning how to use the tools to their fullest potential and tune out the noise.

I’ll share some fun experiments later in this edition, but let’s take a look at our artist spotlight of the week first.

Artist Spotlight - Theo van Doesburg (1883-1931)

Career

Theo van Doesburg, born Christian Emil Marie Küpper on August 30, 1883, in Utrecht, Netherlands was the son of a photographer. His early exposure to art was through his father's work and the artistic circles he frequented. He started with traditional painting, exploring various styles. This period was marked by a search for his artistic voice, experimenting with different genres and forms.

In his early career, van Doesburg's style was influenced by various art movements, including Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. He was initially drawn to representational art but gradually moved towards a more abstract style. His early works displayed an exploration of color and form, and he began to incorporate elements of Cubism and Futurism, fascinated by their departure from traditional art forms.

The most significant phase of his career began with the founding of De Stijl in 1917. Van Doesburg's art and philosophy were pivotal in shaping the movement, characterized by an emphasis on geometric forms and primary colors. It was around this time that he shed his former name, taking on the identify of Theo van Doesburg. This name change was partly to honor his stepfather Theodorus Doesburg, and partly to commemorate the founding of the De Stijl art movement as he moved into a new phase of his life’s journey.

Van Doesburg collaborated closely with Piet Mondrian, although they would later terminate their partnership and friendship over a disagreement about the use of diagonal lines in their work – Mondrian strictly used horizontal and vertical lines, while van Doesburg introduced diagonals. He began applying De Stijl principles to architecture and interior design, broadening the scope of his artistic influence. He collaborated with architects like J.J.P. Oud and Cornelis van Eesteren.

In the 1920s, van Doesburg became associated with the Bauhaus school in Germany, where his ideas influenced a broader range of artistic disciplines, including typography and graphic design. He also engaged with the Dada movement, using the pseudonym I.K. Bonset, which added a playful and irreverent dimension to his body of work. In the later years of his career, van Doesburg traveled across Europe, promoting De Stijl and modernist ideas. He organized exhibitions and published articles that significantly influenced the development of modern art.

Contributions to the Art World

As the founder of De Stijl, Van Doesburg was pivotal in the evolution of modern art. De Stijl is known for its emphasis on abstraction, geometric forms, and primary colors and had a profound influence on art, architecture, and design.

Van Doesbug applied the principles of the movement beyond painting, influencing architecture, furniture design, and graphic design. He was also a key promoter of abstract art. Through his writings, teachings, and art, he helped shift the focus from traditional representational art to abstraction, which was pivotal in the development of modern art.

Through his association with the Bauhaus school in Germany he was able to disseminate his ideas on abstraction and design, influencing a generation of artists and designers. One doesn’t have to look far to see De Stijl influences in the modern generative art style of today.

Style

Van Doesburg is best known for his geometric abstraction, characterized by the use of straight lines, right angles, and a primary color palette (red, blue, and yellow), along with black, white, and gray. In his later works, van Doesburg developed a style he called Elementarism, which was an extension of Neoplasticism (De Stijl). This style was marked by the introduction of diagonals, which he believed added dynamism and movement to his compositions, breaking the static nature of horizontal and vertical lines.

Van Doesburg's style was deeply rooted in his theoretical understanding of art. He sought to create a new visual language that transcended individual expression and was universally comprehensible. This theoretical approach to art was revolutionary at the time. His engagement with the Dada movement added a playful and absurdist element to his work, which contrasted with the more rigid and serious nature of De Stijl.

Influences and Lessons

Early in his career, van Doesburg was influenced by Cubism and Futurism, particularly their fragmentation of forms and departure from traditional perspectives which led him down the path to founding the De Stijl movement.

His collaboration with Piet Mondrian and other artists associated with De Stijl was a major influence. Their collective exploration of pure abstraction and universal harmony significantly shaped his artistic direction. The Dada movement, with its emphasis on absurdity and anti-establishment sentiments, influenced van Doesburg, particularly in his use of pseudonyms and his foray into Dadaist poetry.

Van Doesburg’s work across painting, architecture, and design teaches the value of interdisciplinary thinking and the creative potential that lies in combining different fields of study. His collaborations with other artists and architects demonstrate the importance of sharing ideas and working together to push creative boundaries.

He faced criticism for deviating from De Stijl’s strict principles with his introduction of diagonal lines. His willingness to innovate despite criticism is a valuable lesson in pursuing one's creative vision.

Style Representation

Collectors Corner - Ira Greenberg

Ira Greenberg - Hobbes Leviathan

As promised, here are some fun examples of using the Style Reference in Midjourney. Small tip: play around with various style weights using - -sw. It ranges from 0-1000, and the results can be quite different using higher or lower weights.

I’ll include some of my own and then some that I saw from the community.

Reference Image

MJ Output

Reference Image

MJ Output

Reference Image

MJ Output

Community Examples

Final Thoughts

Interviews will be back hopefully next week! Artists are busy folks as you can imagine, and I’m working on getting a few great ones lined up to keep bringing you insight and inspiration from their work.

This week I’ve been working on some watercolor inspired pieces using p5.js code as the initial image. It basically creates a semitranslucent paint splotch on the canvas, which I add noise to and then SDXL provides the details. Here’s a little peek at one of the outputs.

As always, if you enjoyed this edition I would really appreciate if you shared it. Just hit the share button below. And if you’re not following me on X yet, I’d love to follow you back.

On that note, I’ll leave you with a quote that sparks reflection:

Enjoy your weekend, friend!

P.S. If you have feedback I’d love to hear it! A reply to this email goes directly to me.

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