The Descent of the Fig Eaters

I was trying something. My initial thoughts were Tarot based, not as a form of fortune telling but as a meditational tool for myself. I was encouraged by my first attempt, the High Priestess. Despite my prompts about books and priestesses, pomegranates, and veils, the algorithm seized on one thing, just one; and yet it does work. The High Priestess can be many things; Thunder Perfect Mind, Pope Joan, Ninsaba, Ninshubar, Seshat, the Gnostic Sophia, Hochma, or the Volva who informed Odin; the idea of her encompasses so much, but she definitely has strong elements of this:



I was encouraged by fruit. Having experienced this now, I feel the best advice I can give is not to be encouraged by fruit. My thoughts were of The Empress in all her fecundity and sensuality, including ripeness, pregnancy, focusing on figs because they are flowers and seeds, sweetness and sustenance together.

Iteration 1 worked well enough, though here there were no figs to be seen; however, the main figure did have that swell of pregnancy which I liked. Not the Empress but OK;


I added a prompt about eating for iteration 2. The result had nothing to do with anything but it presented a pretty image.


Iteration 3 presented me with impractical headgear not to mention a sense of impending teabag.



Iterations Next provided all the glorious flaws of the algorithm.



I actually quite like the figure with figs in their hair and another stuffed in their mouth simply because I love the ridiculous. it looks as though the fig just flew straight into their face and stayed there. If I could Gauguin* this up I definitely would.

Alas, by accident, I deleted the photographic set with one person wearing figs as ear-rings, and another surrounded by figs and yelling out of the pic at the viewer. I know an algorithm is not a person as such, but began to suspect it was experiencing elements of frustration. And then;



I like Lower Left the best, she's clearly anticipating that fig with relish, as opposed to that miserable so-and-so at Upper Right, but eh, they belong together, if nowhere else.

Is this enough between me and AI art? Well I don't know, I still have strawberries and melons to cover. I just don't think I dare.

*Yes I know.