UPCOMING
Wednesday, October 1
6:30 – 7:45 pm
Location: To Be Announced
Dahkil Hausif & Russell Frederick – Open Studio
Dark Room Diaspora
Join us for Dahkil & Russell‘s Open Studio!
Dark Room Diaspora is a project centered on the work of photographer Russell Frederick, a long-time Bed-Stuy resident who has been documenting the area since 1999. With an archive of 40,000 to 50,000 images, the goal is to create a unique image-generating program that authentically represents Black and Brown individuals and captures the humanity within the community.
To achieve this, we will scan Frederick’s extensive collection of negatives, slides, and photos to develop a language model that accurately reflects his style. Collaborating with institutions like NYU or New Inc, we aim to secure the necessary computing resources (GPUs) and involve local Black and Brown descent programmers to guide the development process. We will also hire interns and assistants to manage the high-quality scanning of these images.
The output will be an app using a subscription model. This platform will allow the public to access an image generator that reflects Russell Frederick’s unique style. It will serve as an alternative to existing models like Leonardo or Midjourney but will focus on providing a data set that explicitly represents Black and Brown communities.
This model is designed to be replicable, potentially allowing photographers with extensive libraries to create their image generators. We may even bundle artists with similar styles into a collective program. By doing so, artists can regain financial control over their work, often licensed and used without fair compensation. This project offers a direct way for communities to support their artists, keeping the resources and profits within the community. Our goal will be to present our findings and coding as an open-source solution for other artists and continue developing relationships with institutions that will make the processing equipment available.
Learn more about Dahkil Hausif & Russell Frederick