Comment | Furor over ‘colourised’ Ansel Adams photo reflects problems with the art market, not AI – The Art Newspaper
Publish Date: 2026-06-02 15:04:00
Source Domain: www.theartnewspaper.com
- During the prestigious Photography Show, James Danziger stirred controversy by presenting an AI-generated “colourised” version of Ansel Adams’ black-and-white Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico (1941).
- The sale of editions of this colourised version at prices ranging from $6,000 to $10,000 has generated significant backlash from artists, gallerists, and Adams’s trust.
- Danziger’s defence hinges on the argument that Adams’s 1941 photograph is in the public domain, allowing unrestricted usage and modification.
- The uproar extends beyond the controversial use of AI to include the alteration of an iconic image and the sale of an unauthorised work from the original artist’s legacy.
- The incident has stirred debate on the ethical boundaries of AI in photography and its potential commodification, highlighting the need for clearer guidelines in an unregulated art world.
- Danziger’s process, though involving extensive human intervention, still left much of the original image intact, which critics argue undermines both artistic integrity and the original photographer’s intent.
- The fallout exposes broader concerns about copyright, ownership, and the protection of artistic integrity in the face of rapidly advancing technology and market forces.
- The controversy reflects larger discussions about the evolving social contract and moral responsibilities in an increasingly digital and capitalist art environment.
