Tom Sandberg’s photography at the Henie Onstad Kunstsenter museum sparked an unexpected reflection on technology and art. Sandberg’s legacy is rooted in a tradition that began with the invention of photography, a medium that once completely disrupted the world of classic painting and gave rise to movements like fauvism, cubism, abstract expressionism and beyond.
What struck me was how Sandberg himself embraced technological evolution. While deeply grounded in analog traditions, he wasn’t afraid to adopt Photoshop retouching and digital printing when these tools became available. He understood that new technologies weren’t threats to artistic vision, they were simply new means of expression, new ways to realize what the eye and mind had already seen.
Standing there, I can’t help but see parallels to what’s happening with AI today. Just as photography revolutionized art 150 years ago and just as Sandberg later incorporated digital techniques into his practice. AI is now a similar catalyst: disruptive, yes, but also full of potential to diversify and evolve our creative expressions in ways we’re just beginning to explore.
Just as I appreciate prehistoric art and classic paintings from before photography, I’m confident that future generations will look back on AI-generated art as yet another turning point in our endless creative evolution.
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