Inconvenient Realities

David Sheldrick

Inconvenient Realities', was created by blending two 35mm film slides to generate a single image using a custom AI workflow created in ComfyUI and a checkpoint I finetuned on 35mm film from 1940s-1990s. The single image is then animated to create a narrative sequence.

The series of short vignettes portray an uncanny past that relies on nostalgia, leveraging the visual language of photography to pull the viewer into a world that feels true. The scenes range from comedy, pathos, surrealism & many common themes in the human experience such as marriage, love, work, anger. 'Inconvenient Realities' is a meditation on the nature of history, memory, and the tools we use to understand our world. By harnessing the capabilities of artificial intelligence, the piece bridges the gap between traditional photography and contemporary technology, offering a fresh perspective on familiar narratives.

In an age where images are ubiquitous and technology can reinterpret our collective memories, 'Inconvenient Realities' serves as a poignant reminder of the power of images and the importance of critically examining the narratives they construct. It challenges us to reconsider how history is written and who gets to tell the stories that define our identities. As viewers engage with the AI-generated composition, they are invited to question their perceptions and assumptions. 'Inconvenient Realities' encourages a dialogue not just between the past and the present, but also among individuals and cultures. It's an invitation to explore the complexities of our shared histories and to envision new possibilities for understanding and connection.

Project Collaborators:

Curator by Alejandro Cartagena (The Fellowship), January 2025. Sound Design by Michael Frank Gough Panayiotis