Kim Kardashian and Kanye West occupy a unique place in popular culture. In America, at least, it appears they fulfil the role of Royalty.
Kanye West’s career is built on an unassailable sense of self-belief. Kim Kardashian’s on the ability to create a brand out of her very existence.
They are the American Dream incarnate.
Whilst their rarified position in society grants them significant wealth and influence, it comes at the cost of constant exposure. They must live their lives in public, presenting themselves to be photographed and commented upon, generating new pieces of ephemeral culture to fuel their status.
Without new images and soundbites, they cease to be relevant (and effectively cease to exist). Their faces have been examined by millions, from every angle. The appetite for new images of the lives of these particular human beings is voracious.
This work comprises 100 algorithmically generated digital paintings of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.
Kim 019
These images were made using a generative system of my design, seeded with the names ‘Kim Kardashian’ and ‘Kanye West’. The source images are chosen from Google Images, they are then cropped using a face detection algorithm. The resulting images are then used as sources for a generative painting algorithm which makes marks based on the images, and blends and distorts them into something new.
Kanye 033
In this work their faces may be fragmented, but their underlying identities remain immutable, for as long as we (and the internet) choose to observe them.
Explore all 100 Kims
Explore all 100 Kanyes