AI Hand #1

Modeled after antique porcelain glove molds used in the rubber glove manufacturing industry, this "AI hand" was made entirely by hand.

Whether arranged on a mantel or next to your computer, my hope is that these hands serve as conversation pieces and as a kind of totem to examine your own relationship to artificial intelligence and technology in general.

The original hand was made by combining wheel thrown and sculpted clay parts, from which I created a four-part plaster mold for slip casting. After curing for several weeks, porcelain slip was poured into the mold and left to stiffen up and form a hollow shell. Multiple casts were made, seams cleaned up, and fingers cut and reassembled into hands with six or seven fingers and other "hallucinations" that often appear as artifacts in images created by AI.

This particular hand was then wood fired to around 2400 degrees Fahrenheit over a period of three days with a crew of about twelve people - one of the more time consuming and resource-heavy methods of firing pottery. The flame, ash, and smoke inherent in the process create the colors and glassy finish on the final piece.

Dimensions: Approx 10” tall x 5” wide x 3.5” deep.