Interpolation and Depth Extraction: A Case Study of Shan Shui Artwork Generated by AI

Traditional Shan Shui artworks (Chinese landscape paintings) have been static representations of the beauty and tranquillity of landscapes, and they have a long history and significance in Chinese art. The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies brings new possibilities to artwork creation and innovation to tradition. This study proposes using AI technologies, specifically artificial neural networks and computer vision, to learn from traditional paintings, generate new landscapes and extract depths in Shan Shui paintings. The research aims to go beyond using AI technology solely to create new artwork. Instead, it explores the ability of AI to generate dynamic landscapes with perspectives, allowing more immersive and engaging experiences, and through analysis of the depths embedded in the AI-generated Shan Shui paintings, trying to gain insights into understanding interpolation of spatial and dimensional aspects in the work and address the limitation of 2-dimension in art. This research signifies the convergence of art and technology, explores novel ways of creating and viewing traditional Shan Shui paintings, and explores the possibilities of understanding the landscapes generated through the lens of AI and computer vision technology.