It is rather unusual for a married couple to have the same level of artistic talent, but quite another for them to create masterpieces with the help of a robot.
This is exactly what Rob and Nick Carter have done. The husband and wife team have been working hard creating a name for their art over the last 20 years, and recently decided to do something new and innovative with their skills by utilising a robotic arm called Heidi.
But let’s start from the beginning. The hugely talented pair have been creating pieces in various mediums since the early 2000s, including paintings, installations, sculptures, time-based media, camera-less photography and sculptures.
Over the years, they gained a reputation for their unique art, which has led to their pieces being showcased in some of the biggest galleries in the world. These include the likes of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London; Stadel Museum in Frankfurt; the Foundation Custodia in Paris; and the Mauritshuis in The Hague.
They also have the exciting accolade of being the only living artists who have had work displayed at the Frick Museum in New York.
Additionally, the couple have received some exciting commissions in the past, including producing work for the Mildred Creek Ward at Great Ormond Street Hospital, 23 Savile Row, 200 Aldersgate, and Cardinal Place, all in London.
So impressive is their art that some of the world’s biggest celebrities have become collectors. Stephen Fry, Jude Law, David and Victoria Beckham, and Elton John are all thought to be fans, according to Harper’s Bazaar.
However, unsatisfied by these life-changing achievements, they decided to experiment with new technology. Therefore, over the last few years, the Carters have developed Heidi.
With the help of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), Heidi is able to paint masterpieces of her own. The six-axis Kuka Robot can now, therefore, produce her own series of works. Most recently, she mimicked Andy Warhol’s Daisies, as well as creating portraits of some of the world’s most famous faces, including the late Queen Elizabeth II, Frida Kahlo, and Yoko Ono.
With each of Heidi’s pictures, the artistic pair noted how long it took the machine and how many strokes were painted. Each replica she creates is identical, including her interpretation of Van Goh’s Sunflowers, which consisted of 9,153 strokes and took 49 hours, three minutes and three seconds each time.
Rob and Nick Carter have not lost touch with their own artistic talents, however. They are currently exhibiting sculptures at Dulwich Picture Gallery’s gardens.
The Bronze Oak Grove, which looks like nine typical tree stumps, opened at the venue in August 2021 and will remain there until next year. The stumps, which are fabricated in bronze, were designed to “emphasise the strong association between human civilisations and oaks”, as oak has a long history as places of worship and a multitude of uses for mankind.
According to the couple, the grove can also “create a contemporary space for gathering and dialogue”, as the public can sit on, and walk around, the stumps.
While you’d struggle to take home one of the Carters’ installations or sculptures, they have plenty of artwork you could get a framing shop in east London to frame, so you can put it up on your wall for all to see.