ChatGPT and The Touchonian
Talking to my daughter Noor-un-nisa she suggested I try out ChatGPT which she uses all the time so I was playing around with it and was wondering if it knows about this publication called ‘The Touchonian’. So I put ‘The Touchonian’ in the text box and here is what it gave me…
The "Touchonian" refers to the distinct artistic philosophy, style, and approach developed and embodied by Cecil Touchon in his work. The term is often used to describe not only Touchon’s specific methods but also the broader ethos he brings to his creative practice. Here are some key elements of what could be considered "Touchonian" in nature:
1. Typographic Abstraction:
Touchon is known for his typographic abstraction, a style where letters, words, and typefaces are deconstructed and reassembled to form abstract compositions. These compositions emphasize the visual beauty of typography while stripping away the semantic meaning of the text. The result is an abstract, often geometric, arrangement that plays with shapes, lines, and forms derived from language.
2. Collage and Assemblage:
A major part of Touchon’s work involves collage, where he cuts and rearranges fragments of printed material, including books, posters, and advertisements, to create new compositions. His work draws on elements of found objects, ephemera, and printed matter, and transforms them into intricate, visually dynamic works.
3. Asemic Writing:
In Touchon's view, asemic writing—writing without semantic meaning—is a way to explore the visual power of language without the constraints of literal interpretation. This fits into his philosophy of breaking down conventional modes of communication to explore their aesthetic and symbolic potentials. He has described asemic writing as the "body language of writing," suggesting it is a form of gestural, universal expression.
4. Post-Dogmatism:
Touchon is the (co-)founder of the International Post-Dogmatist Group (IPDG), which seeks to promote art free from rigid frameworks or schools of thought (dogmas). The "Touchonian" approach to creativity is therefore marked by an open-minded, experimental, and non-dogmatic philosophy. This encourages constant exploration, where meaning can emerge organically rather than being pre-determined by strict ideologies.
5. Intuition and Balance:
The "Touchonian" style emphasizes intuition in the creative process. Touchon believes that creativity should flow naturally, and artists should trust their instincts to allow for spontaneous, unplanned outcomes. His work frequently plays with the balance between order and chaos, blending precise geometric forms with the organic unpredictability of found materials.
6. Musicality in Art:
Touchon has spoken about musicality as a guiding principle in his work. This involves arranging elements in a way that evokes rhythm, repetition, and harmony—qualities that mirror the structure of music. His typographic abstractions, for example, often feel like visual compositions where elements are orchestrated in patterns that suggest movement and flow.
7. Spiritual and Symbolic Dimensions:
Touchon’s interest in Sufism and other mystical traditions reflects his deeper engagement with the spiritual and symbolic dimensions of art. This interest can be seen in his focus on the universal and timeless qualities of visual language, as well as his use of symbols and forms that suggest a connection to deeper levels of human consciousness.
8. Collage Poetry:
The "Touchonian" approach also extends to collage poetry, where Touchon deconstructs and recomposes words and letters from existing printed material to form poems. These poems often function both as visual art and as unconventional forms of poetry, highlighting his belief in the interconnectedness of word and image.
Interesting.
I guess ChatGPT doesn’t know about this publication or my other form of collage poetry that has to do with gathering snippets from readings and arranging them into poems like I post here. Also, in the collage poetry ChatGPT discusses, I have made a few works as described, but that is uncommon. I am going to run some of the early articles through ChapGPT and see what it comes up with. I have tried out a couple and so far they are pretty good and probably written better than I could do it! So I am going to study up on how that bot writes stuff. If I post something from ChatGPT I will mention that I used that as a tool to help me out.
Have any of you guys used ChatGPT yet? What do you think about it? How do you use it? Does ChatGPT crawl the internet like google does? What is it using for a database I wonder? I am still an average idiot on the subject.
This is very interesting, I have never used ChatGPT but I will definitely look into it.
Thanks to you and your daughter.
Wild!!