ABOUT

Steve DiPaola :: Vancouver

:: dipaola at gmail dot com ::

Steve DiPaola has been pushing the boundaries of computer-based art for over 40 years. His background in fine art practices, and the technicalities of building generative models of cognition and AI inform his trajectory of art making practice, which is situated at the nexus of art and science. Much as all works emerge from their cultural contexts, DiPaola’s art can be framed in the context of both academic research creation, yet also a continuation of the evolution of the methods and tools of art practice. The custom-built computational systems that DiPaola uses, trace a direct lineage back through art history to the red ochre once used to define imaginaries on cave walls, or the utilization of fresh pigments in Italian frescoes. It is with an awareness of these cultural and historical contexts, that DiPaola experiments with the construction and application of digital tools. As such, the tools are not benign, they are politically situated, as all other trends in art and art tools have emerged from their cultural context.

The many decades of experimentation have enabled DiPaola to build a rich database of script sequences (code potions) which he uses to generate new systems and models for cutting edge creative praxis. These state of the art AI tools are utilized alongside historical code sequences, generating original and dynamic interactions that play with the boundaries between human and machine intelligence. It is from these liminal spaces that DiPaola’s work emerges as a dynamic entity. Invigorated through iterative processes, each work generates tension between the temporalities of code and the vicerality of human embodiment.

DiPaola’s current work combines old and new code to explore the ways that abstraction offers insight into a subject, yet also alludes to the subject’s spectral and transient qualities. From digital portraits to immersive installations and video works projected onto Canada’s largest outdoor screen (link), each artwork contributes to DiPaola’s expanding narrative.

Process is the thing that weaves all DiPaola’s works together, everything that emerges is a realization of the process. Process is alive at all times, the ai gives memory, can record and reiterate and build code upon code. The systems emerge from other systems. Different modules of system are built on the ones before. The system as a living thing. The system is steve but it is also the technology. Modules are built on modules. Remixed. Historically always using old codes to build on new

Born  ::  NYC

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Art Exhibitions (Performance, New Media and Digital Work) (noteworthy shows highlighted)

  • “Human Creativity + Artificial Intelligence”, The Kent Gallery, Vancouver. Group Shop, Keynote Invited Artist – Still and video work, 2024 [gallery]
  • “Aberrant Creativity”, a juried, international art exhibition. Major group show where I was one of 3 featured arts. The Arts Council of Brazos Valley Main Gallery , 5 framed paintings. 2024 [link] [gallery]
  • “ASCENTI AI”, Calgary Public Library Gallery, Group Shop, 2024
  • “Transformation”, a commission artwork for Lamborghini’s 60th anniversary. 6 mounted aluminum prints, limited edition of 2. Touring one person show with Lamborghini events (through Canada), now in permanent collection, Lamborghini museum, Italy, 2023-2024 [gallery] 
  • Art Vancouver International, Vancouver Convention Center, Invited Artist and Speaker, 2023
  • white clouds in a blue sky – commissioned work on the largest outdoor screen in Canada – Immersive single-channel, AI driven poetic visual and auditory score. DiPaola, Hennessy, and Smith, Surrey Art Centre, Canada 2022. [gallery]
  • Bodies as Borders: Traces and Flows of Connection – commissioned work on the largest outdoor screen in Canada – Immersive single-channel, AI driven poetic visual and auditory score. Aceves Sepúlveda, DiPaola, Sun and Zinovief, Surrey Art Centre, Canada 2022. [gallery]
  • Floating Departures, Dance Art Video. Multiple Venues. DiPaola ,Cuykendal,  2021-2022. [gallery]
  • Mitochondrial Echoes: Computational Poetics, Immersive single-channel, AI driven poetic visual and auditory score. Aceves Sepúlveda, DiPaola, Sun and Zinovief, Art Machines 2 Art Gallery, Hong Kong, 2021.
  • God in Three Persons, a Multimedia performance by The Residents, in collaboration with media artist John Sanborn, Museum of Modern Art, NYC 3 nights, 2020. press
    • Sanborn commissioned me to create AI-based moving artwork from his video source which highlighted part of the multimedia during the performances.
  • Generative Art, The Little Art Gallery, Univ. of Calgary , showcased two artists: my AI art work and Sara Diamond’s work ( head of OCAD). Show was up for 3 weeks in sync with major book release ‘ Generative Art’ (by Jim Parker) with my Art on the cover and insets.
  • Pareidolia; 2 Channel Video; Surrey Art Gallery, 2019. [gallery] press
  • Programmed: Rules, Codes, and Choreographies in Art; Collaborator (Kraftwerk CG art video – Director Rebecca Allen) to Nam June Paik’s 1989 piece “Fin de Siecle II”, Video installation, 207 television sets with seven video channels,  Whitney Museum of Art,  New York, New York. 2018, Invited. [gallery]
  • Meaning and Abstraction – AI based multi-monitor video work, Gallery of Centre de Design @UQAM, Montreal, 2018. Juried.
  • Fractured Perspectives: Movement and Light, Multi -camera and 360 abstract film combining dancers, material and AI,  British Computer Society/EVA Gallery, Covent Gardens, London, UK, with Cuykendall, DiPaola, Muntean & Sun,2017.  Juried. [gallery]
  • Texture and Flow – AI based Art video ( 6 minutes), Film show at Electronic Literature Organization Conference, Victoria, BC, 2016. Juried. [gallery]
  • Hidden Pasts, Digital Futures: A Festival of Immersive Arts, Woodwards Experimental Theater, Bringing out the Ghosts, 3 monitor and stills work, Vancouver, 2015. Juried. [gallery]
  • V&A Digital Futures (presented by Victoria and Albert Museum & Electronic Visualisation & the Arts), Reflections of Essence – Interactive, Networked Multi Projector work, Lime Wharf, London, 2015. Juried.
  • Computational Aesthetics Art Show, Blurred Lines “Portraits Triptych: Meaning and Process III”, Multi monitor multimedia Installation, Emily Carr University Gallery – co- located Conf. of ACM SIGGRAPH, 2014.
  • Tate Modern, London, UK, “Kraftwerk 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9“, our (Allen, DiPaola) cover art was hung in the museum; our 3D animated visuals were projected during the 9 nights of performances by Kraftwerk. The 25 yr old work was credited by Kraftwerk, but not formally at the museum. 2013. Commissioned. [gallery]
  • Museum of Modern Art, NY, “Kraftwerk 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9“, our (Allen, DiPaola) cover art was hung in the museum; our 3D animated visuals were projected during the 9 nights of performances. The 25 yr old work was credited by Kraftwerk, but not formally at the museum. 2012. Commissioned. [gallery]
  • Annecy Art Festival, part of CAe, Annecy, France, “Jane Portrait Series: Mixing Cognitive & Artistic Knowledge in a Generative Painting System”, France, 2012, Juried.
  • Computational Aesthetics Art Show, “Swimming away from Darwin”, Interactive Installation, Vancouver – co- located Conf. of ACM SIGGRAPH, 2011. [gallery]
  • Emily Carr University of Art + Design, “Genetic Art Installation”, International Digital Media and Art Assoc (IDMAa), Vancouver, 2010. Juried.
  • Tenderpixel Gallery, “Computational Creativity”, One Person Show, London, 2010. Commission. [gallery]
  • University of Toronto, Inst. History and Phil of Science and Tech ( IHPST), Victoria College, Toronto, 2009. Commissioned. [gallery]
  • Cambridge University, Kings Art Centre, Evolving Darwin’s Gaze, One Person Show, Cambridge, U.K. 2009. Juried. [gallery]
  • MIT Museum, Evolving Darwin’s Gaze, Cambridge Science Festival, M.I.T, Cambridge, MA, 2009. Commissioned. [gallery]
  • Vancouver Science World, The Creative Mind: Illusions and Perceptions & Modern Alchemists, part of a 4 invited artist exhibit, Vancouver, BC, Jan. 2009. Commissioned.
  • Intersections Digital Studios Gallery, Emily Carr University,” Omar’s Act” – an ambient video using 3D Facial Animation and Stochastic Noise Perturbation, Commissioned for the opening of gallery – 3 person show, 2008, Commissioned.
  • Digital Shrine at Parade of the Lost Souls, “someone_who_once_was”, digital still, Vancouver, 2008, Juried.
  • SmartLab/Matrix East Exhibition Space, “Bringing Out the Ghost” – a 24 screen multimedia installation, London. 2008. Commissioned.
  • New Forms Festival, “Manifesto for the Future of the City”, Vancouver, Canada, 2008. Invited.
  • Time’s Up Workspace Gallery, “Steve DiPaola: Facades”, One Person Show – NY, NY, 2007. Commissioned.
  • New Forms Festival, “Avatar@ArtCamp: unConference Diatribe”, Vancouver, Canada, 2006. Invited.
  • Monegros Festival, “Kraftwork Video & Set Installation “, Candasnos, Spain, 2006. Commissioned [gallery]
  • Code – Human Systems, Digital Bodies,”Evolved Portraits”, Oxford, Ohio. 2006. Juried.
  • Computational Poetics – Logic Machines and Creative Process, “Poetics of Image” , Vancouver, Canada, 2006. Invited.
  • Kraftwerk World Tour, “Musique NonStop”, Video & Installation, Europe, Asia, Americas, 2005. Commissioned. [gallery]
  • New Forms Festival, “Muses” – Video Painting, Vancouver, Canada, 2004. Juried.
  • ACM Siggraph Art Show, “inside-out”, music & music generated animation art by DiPaola, LA, 2004 – Juried.
  • A.I.R. Gallery, “Wish You Were Here”, New York, NY, (Sold Piece) July 2004 – Invited.
  • A.I.R. Gallery, “Plays Well with Others”, New York, NY April 2004 – Commissioned.
  • New Forms Festival, “Concerto for Strings and Face – Music Generated Faces”, Vancouver, Canada, 2003. Juried.
  • Somar Gallery, “Exposure – multimedia show”, San Francisco, CA, 2003. Invited.
  • “The Nobel Wedding”, Physical/Virtual Interactive Performance, SFU Interactivity Lab Performance Space, Surrey, Canada, 2003. Juried grant/Collaboration.
  • Fashion Inst of Tech Gallery, “Ratava’s Line”, Physical/Virtual Interactive Performance, New York, NY, 2002.
  • Western Front Gallery, “Experimental Media Group Show”, Vancouver, Canada, 2002. Invited.
  • “The Magic Cube”, Interactive Virtual Cube, Sigma Square Opening, Malmö, Sweden, 2001. Invited.
  • Stanford Department of Art Lobby, “Chasing Alice”, 3D Interactive Performance, Stanford, California, 2000.
  • Herbst Theater, Tapestry ‘ 99 Group Show, San Francisco, CA, 1999. Juried.
  • Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Permanent Research Collection, Washington, DC, 1998. Juried.
  • Anon Salon Gallery, Contact Consortium Show, San Francisco, California, 1997. Invited.
  • Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Interactive Performance “Virtual Voce”, San Francisco, California, 1997. Invited.
  • Digital Be-In, Invited Interactive Performance “Virtual Voce”, San Francisco, California, 1996. Invited Artist.
  • Montage 93, International Festival of the Image, Rochester, New York, 1993. Juried.
  • “Image World: Art and Media Culture”, Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC (Contributor w/ Nam June Paik), 1989. Juried. [gallery]
  • Siggraph ’89, Film and Video Exhibition, 1989. Juried.
  • “Digital Explorations … Emerging Visions in Art”, Tibor de Nagy Gallery, NYC, (Co-curator/artist), 1988. Juried.
  • Image Du Futur, Montreal, Canada, 1988. Juried [gallery]
  • Siggraph ’88, Film and Video Exhibition, 1988. Juried.
  • Atelier Grapoui, Brussels, Belgium, 1988. Juried.
  • “Computers and Art”, Everson Museum, Syracuse, New York; Juried [gallery]
    • Traveled to Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, Ohio;
    • IBM Gallery of Science and Art, New York, New York;
    • Center for the Fine Arts, Miami, Florida 1987.
  • Siggraph ’87 Art Show, Anaheim, California, 1987. Juried.
  • Nouvelles Images de Monte Carlo, Monte Carlo, Monaco, 1987. Juried.
  • Siggraph ’87, Film and Video Exhibition, 1987. Juried.
  • Nicograph ’87, Nicograph, Tokyo, Japan, 1987. Juried.
  • Zagreb Animation Festival, Zagreb, Yugoslavia, 1987. Juried.
  • Parigraph Animation Festival, Paris, 1986. Juried.
  • Siggraph ’86, Film and Video Exhibition, 1986. Juried.
  • Nouvelles Images de Monte Carlo, Monte Carlo, Monaco, 1986. Juried.
  • Siggraph ’85, Film and Video Exhibition, 1985. Juried.

Reviews (of artwork or research work)

– Popular Press: (selected recent)

  • Vancouver Observer, “Cetaceans in captivity: An SFU researcher may have a solution”, July 2010
  • Scientist Discover Magic of Rembrandt : It is in the Eye Gaze – > 200 articles in Press, Radio and TV in 14 countries including
  • Globe&Mail, Vancouver Sun , Toronto Sun, The Province, Montreal Gazette, Winnipeg Free Press, Métro Montréal , TruroDaily News, Oxford Science News
  • CBC TV, Discovery Channel, Nation Public Radio, newstalk1010, Live Science, Science News Daily, com, physorg.com, esciencenews.com, scienceblog.com, boingboing.net
  • CityTV, Two TV news features on my research and its humanistic approach to technology, – March, 2004.
  • The Vancouver Sun, “BC innovative thinkers” where I was discussed under Computer Science. 2004.
  • The Vancouver Sun, “The Changing Face of E-Mail”, pg B2-B3 – Article on my work – February 20, 2004.
  • Women’s Wear Daily, “Partnership Gives Design an Upgrade” By Valerie Seckler, April 23, 2003.
  • The Now Newspaper, “Simulating the Future” (Article on my human approach to technology), Jan. 24, 2002.
  • The New York Times, “Put Your Face in the Line of Fire…” by Jeffrey R Young, August 14, 2001.
  • The New York Times, “The Internet in Three Dimensions”, November 25, 1996.
  • Also TV: Scientific American        Discovery Channel        MSNBC’s The Site        c|net Central

Press:    Wall Street Journal            Wired Magazine            USA Today            Newsweek

Work demonstrated on stage by both Bill Gates (Microsoft) and Andy Grove (Intel).

  • Critical Press:
  • Brown, Janet, Looking at Darwin: portraits and the making of an icon. Isis. Sept, Vol 100, No 3, pp 542-70, 2009. Note: Janet Brown (Harvard) is the foremost writer on Darwin. In this major journal article, she singles out my genetic programming/creativity work at MIT/Cambridge/UofT/London/the journal Nature, from page 1:
  • “… Meanwhile, on the … of Steve DiPaola, another mutating portrait is under way. Using algorithms drawn from genetic sequencing programs, this computer engineer/artist has grown a succession of abstract forms deriving from the well-known oil portrait of Darwin by the Victorian painter John Collier. Like the iron filings, the computer-generated processes play on the notion of change over time. Both installations allude to the closing words of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species: “from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.”1 In them, viewers encounter the passage of time and the transitory nature of life. More than this, the modes of production call to mind the processes that are being commemorated.
  • Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Multimodality: Theory and Practice. By Baldry & Montagna(eds.), Palladino. My Virtual Worlds research is discussed in the chapter “Multimodal Learning Conversations Online”, 2007.
  • ArtSEEN Magazine, “Another way of being”, Article on my Stanford interactive narrative work. Issue 3, 2006.
  • SECOND NATURE: Reproduction and the Artificial in Art, Science and New Media, my evolutionary art and AI systems are discussed; “Biomimetics: Emulation and Propagation in Post-traditional Ecologies”, 2006.
  • Evolutionary Art by P Machado and J Romero, evolutionary artwork is discussed and shown in the book. 2006.
  • UBC eStrategy News & BC.NETwork News, “Simulated Gaming for Medical Learning” June & July 2005.
  • Avatara, a DVD documentary about DiPaola’s 3D community Traveler by Turner, Mancini, Harrison. Shown at international art galleries, film festivals, and conferences. 2003 See https://www.flickharrison.com/avatara/
  • President’s Unconventional Learning Report, Simon Fraser University 2003. See https://www2.sfu.ca/report2003/Learning/unconventionallearning-fashion.htm
  • Chronicle of Higher Education, “Information Technology: Haute Cyber” by Jeffrey R Young, May 30, 2003.
  • Higher Learning Magazine, “Virtual Faces Deliver Emotion to Your Inbox”, Mar-Apr 2003.
  • Communication Arts, “New in New Media Design”, ( Article on our HP Design), 2000
  • Sculpture Magazine, “Special Installation Issue”, March/April 1990.
  • Computer Graphics World, “Computers and Fine Art”, (Cover Art & Lead Story), October 1988.

DiPaola as an artist / scientist also has active research in related spaces: See Published  Papers