Anicka Yi

Acquired from the artist's studio

Following early experiments with “soap painting,” (2013–15), Anicka Yi began to investigate painting and image-making in earnest in 2020. She began by feeding images of sculptural works from her archive into a machine learning (ML) model that generated new two-dimensional composition ideas. As Yi expanded this process, she developed several ML algorithms, mixing in different biomorphic imagery, while manipulating her past work to prompt and guide the algorithm’s output. Each ML algorithm functions as a layer of “paint” and generates unique imagery—, from brush strokes and washes of color, to blood cells and fish eggs, scratched and ruptured skin, polyps and crustaceans, and the undulations of a deep ocean floor. These digital amalgamations resulted in her “mesh painting” series. 

For the present work, The Mother Tongue (2022), Yi collaged imagery from her various ML algorithms to create a digital painting showcasing supple forms emerging from the unknown. This painting was then UV-printed onto two layers of silkscreen mesh, creating a moiré effect in which the partial opacity of the superficial layer is disrupted by the impressions of the patterned underlayer. The Mother Tongue was chosen as a humble tribute to Nina Simone, whose blending of many musical styles continues to evoke dazzling waveforms in the radical present and into the future. Balancing generational tides as we face the uncertainties of the 21st century, the enduring legacy of Simone continues to inspire with courage and ever-flowing grace.