London Spring | Blog 04

Once I’d gotten into generating Midjourney images - a much swifter pursuit than my usual 3D scenes - there was one thing I immediately wanted to explore.

How does 2024 AI see London?

A city I’ve lived in, studied in, worked in, and trawled across - compressed into tube carriages and steamed on buses with non-functional windows.

Could it make me feel the way I felt when I saw a familiar station? Could it replicate the nostalgia of the rain, or the rarity of the sun in June?

Putting aside the cityscapes with charming twins of Big Ben and Medium Benjamin - and frankly a whole jar of Gherkins - a few gems did emerge.

One image reminded me of Denmark Hill. Another of Plaistow. And soon enough, a little collection of memories. Platforms I’d stood on at the crack of dawn and late at night, travelling home with a set of scrubs crumpled in a plastic bag at the bottom of my backpack.

When I started putting my favourite images on mugs, notebooks, and my first calendar, I realised something: other people felt it too.

The emotion translated.

My Behind the Line series became one of our bestsellers.

So can artificial intelligence and human curiosity create something that makes us feel connected? Nostalgic? Sentimental?

Or is it just a cheap trick? An imitation without intention? A blight on human creativity?

..What do you think?