Mashable: In an interview with Mashable Middle East, Yesiltas sheds light on light on his surreal portraits.

The year was 1826 when Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre was racing against time to invent photography. Nicéphore Niépce, another inventor, and Daguerre knew whoever achieved this feat would go down in history. As luck or circumstances would have it, the latter made the world’s first photograph, which took an eight-hour-long exposure. But he had to perfect his experiment. The process continued until 1934, and Louis finally attained successful results. A few years later, in 1939, Daguerre and the French Government struck a deal and chose to “gift” his invention to the world.

Almost 200 hundred years later, photography has undergone monumental changes, and now, we have reached a point where one can produce images by feeding a set of parameters into artificial intelligence (AI). The advent of such technology is embroiled with many ethical dilemmas, as professionals in this field do not deem the medium as ‘real photography’. Some have also raised concerns about copyright infringement, as AI needs source material or data from other artists to create a photograph.

Despite the ongoing discourse, some people, especially photographers, have chosen to stick with it; one is a Turkey-based lawyer, photographer and AI artist, Alper Yesiltas.

Known for his magical project titled 12 Years: Story of an Unknown Window, Alper gained international acclaim following the release of the series — documented between 2005 to 2017 — until the day the house was demolished. But in 2022, around the pandemic, Alper decided to work with AI for his next set of projects. Alper explains his transition from digital photography to AI, "I perceive this journey from the perspective of creating an emotion in a controlled manner."

"Artificial intelligence-based applications/platforms have the potential of carrying artists, and therefore, art to higher artistic places.”

However, people believe a human’s involvement in such ventures is limited, thus, deeming it to be works of the machine. But Alper believes otherwise. “I think this is not possible automatically, but with the greater involvement of human emotion,” he says, adding that “hardware and software” help us to produce; it is “the emotions that are decisive”. And so, “controlling and mastering AI” became a means to tap into opportunities for image-making, which would not be possible otherwise.

While Alper began photographing in 2003, during his years at law school, he does not remember what “pushed” him to do so: “Maybe I was thinking that this was a new way for me to learn.” But in recent years, through varied projects, he began to form crystal clear notions about why he is doing what he is doing. For instance, for his first AI series, As if Nothing Happened, Alper imagines how artists look if certain historical events did not occur. An example: How would Madonna look had she not undergone plastic surgery? Or, how would Freddy Mercury look had he been alive?

“I have been thinking: ‘Anything [that is] imaginable, [it] can be shown in reality.’"

Alper speaks about his inspirations, noting how the “development of AI” has been exciting. “I have been thinking: ‘Anything [that is] imaginable, [it] can be shown in reality.’ When I started tinkering with technology, I saw what I could do and thought about what would make me happiest. I wanted to see some of the people I missed again in front of me. That’s how As If Nothing Happened emerged." The photographs portray the curiosity of a creative mind while reminding us of the talented geniuses we have lost thus far. Through the portraits, you do wonder where the world — culture and art —would be if each of them were present with us. Maybe Michael Jackson would make songs for Black Panther, or Heath Ledger would portray another terrifying villain in Christopher Nolan’s movies. The possibilities are heartwrenching but also endless.

Amidst this series, Alper had another idea brewing in his mind: How would some of the most renowned young pop culture artists look forty-fifty years in the future? For instance, Justice Bieber when he hits sixty, or Billie Eilish when she becomes a senior citizen. He delves into these ideas in Young Age(d). When asked what inspired him, Alper adds, “I wanted to change the perspective of my projects and expand their scope. I realised that fans (myself included) wonder what today's artists will look like in a few decades.”

Speaking about the difference between these two series, and his ongoing project, Next Chapter, Alper says that the first two are about “artists”, while the latter is about “fictional characters” like Forest Gump, Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, or The Bride in Kill Bill.

In all three series, the most common thread is the notion of age, which, unlike today’s perceptions, is portrayed with a sense of dignity.

"I believe, at times, emotions take precedence over techniques, terms and distinctions."
The discourse around this theme has always been negative. People look at old age with contempt; for instance, the beauty industry reiterates wrinkles are bad, while the health sector reminds us of how our expenditure increases with age. Amidst such comments, Alper’s projects highlight the fulfilment of making it to one’s twilight years, despite the struggles and shortcomings. He makes one believe that getting old, after all, is not the worst possible thing. "I believe, at times, emotions take precedence over techniques, terms and distinctions. It is where I come from. It’s also at the heart of this project — wondering what old age is about and projecting it naturally."

Interestingly, despite his success, Alper believes in taking suggestions from his viewers, who supported his work for decades. Explaining why he is so open to taking feedback from his audience, Alper says, "What pleases me the most is that there are more comments (perhaps, tens of thousands) than I imagined ever before. I love reading them.”

Whether positive or negative comments, for Alper, they are a learning curve. “Generally, I received positive feedback; and this encouraged me a lot. Yet, there were other controversial topics, such as how Black people [would] look when they age. It was more like a technical issue, and it took me a little longer to learn about how Black people age. But the reactions to one of my last works (The Notorious BIG) show that I have internalised the subject correctly."

In addition to his ongoing projects, Alper says he is already “working on: Hip Hop Resurrection, Life in 2050 and Alternate Museum”, which will be created by AI. Another exciting piece of news is his upcoming “collaborating with some famous Turkish artists.” He hopes to work with “Middle Eastern artists” in the future.

Alper’s work stands at an interaction where the very definition of photography is changing yet again. Although there are various dilemmas on the subject, Alper’s practice is a breath of fresh air who simply want to enjoy a work of art without troubling too much about its meaning. With his simplicity and love for the projects, Alper reveals a world where the new, old, and forgotten exist in harmony.