Mysuru-based artist reimagines the world’s richest in rags

Pillai’s AI art titled Superman - Mid-life crisis. Pics courtesy/Gokul Pillai

Would the rich look as powerful if they turned poor? A recent series by Mysuru-based artist Gokul Pillai reimagines the world's richest in rags. Titled Slumdog Millionaires, the art pieces focus on an alternate world where subverted power structures call for attention. In an implausible setting, Bill Gates sports a smile in a lungi; Donald Trump looks frail and dissatisfied; Mark Zuckerberg seems to have slipped out of gully cricket for a quick snap; and Elon Musk looks confident even in his soiled clothes. Pillai, an engineer by profession, tells us that although he has been surveying the possibilities of artificial intelligence (AI) for long, this particular set made netizens go berserk. "I have received so many comments on the post that it made me think ‘what about the idea makes it so arresting?'"

Bill Gates and Elon Musk

And what about it piqued the creator, we ask. "Quite like the title of the series, my inspiration follows a filmy route. It happened when I spotted the trailer of Aadujeevitham, an upcoming survival drama film in Malayalam. AR Rahman is the music composer for the film. The very mention of his name took me back in time - to his iconic work in Slumdog Millionaire [2008]. That's an oxymoron you do not forget," Pillai shares. He explains that he first started with drawing a few frames for slum environs. And then, the concept of incorporating impactful figures into it dawned on him.

Aware of the potent political voice of this AI-generated sequence, he stresses that his art thinks freely - moving past careful imports. About AI helping expand the creative vistas of an artist, Pillai notes, "It varies. Those with a big production team can actually set up a lavish setting and take pictures. Trained artists might articulate a multitude of impressions without the assistance of AI, but for self-taught artists, digital intelligence opens up new avenues. You might approach it with one thought, but the resources that AI throws back at you will lend clarity to your perception."

Gokul Pillai

Of all his representations, the one showing a middle-aged man in a Superman costume is our favourite. The subject is seated in a drawing room with his family. The caption reminds us of a gnawing sentiment - "When you realise you are not as young as you used to be, but not quite old enough to give up on your dreams yet."

Log on to: @withgokul

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