From the series Me, Myself, and AI (No. 1) | Old Masters, New Tricks

2022–2026

self-trained system using a diffusion model; face-transfer script; post-production: Photoshop; enlargement: Topaz Gigapixel; archival pigment print
40 × 55 cm

David Szauder appears in full regalia here: not just as an AI artist, but as performer, impersonator, and conceptual foil. Me, Myself, and AI is a series of self-portraits that reimagine classical paintings with uncanny fidelity—except it’s Szauder’s face we see beneath the powdered wigs and brushstroke halos. This series is clearly a meticulous and humorous homage to canonical works from art history, masterfully rendered with AI tools that do their best to mimic oil, glaze, and canvas. But this isn’t digital cosplay. These portraits are playful, knowing, and laced with art-historical inside jokes. (…) In a world saturated with style-transfer prompts and social media filters, this series stands out as both technically sharp and conceptually rich. Szauder doesn’t just use AI for imitation, he uses it to start conversations— with painters past, himself, and anyone willing to look closely. (Scott Minneman, from the book Glitches & Glory. The Digitally Rewired Art of David Szauder. Published by gestalten. Berlin 2025. All rights reserved.)

photo: Szauder Dávid