Transparency
AI & Technology
My first published paper — JA Flinn with JC Flinn — was about using VisiCalc and Lotus 1-2-3 for economic modelling. That was the mid-1980s. The other Flinn was my father, a senior scientist working on the Green Revolution. Technology in service of meaningful work is where I started, and it's where I still am. Today that includes AI.
Here is where technology plays a role in my practice, and where it doesn't.
The artwork is handmade
Every painting, every wing installation, every sculptural piece is conceived, designed, and physically created by my hands. No AI generates, assists with, or modifies the artwork itself.
When I say a Vibration is "music graphically, physically created as lines" — that means I stand at the canvas, the music plays, and I paint. When I say a wing "balances on a single point" — that means I engineered the structure, tested the materials, and found the balance. The creative act is entirely human.
Technology supports the business
Like most professionals in 2026, I use AI tools to support research, writing, administration, and communications. This website, for instance, was developed with the assistance of AI tools alongside human judgment and editorial direction.
Business correspondence, content drafting, and strategic thinking are supported by AI in the same way earlier generations used calculators, spreadsheets, and word processors — as tools that extend capacity, not replace judgment.
Photography and reproduction
Artwork photography is captured by professional photographers or by the artist. Images are processed using standard digital photography tools. No AI-generated or AI-manipulated imagery is used to represent the artwork.
What this means for collectors
When you acquire a work from Booth Aster, you are acquiring a handmade, human-created original. The certificate of authenticity that accompanies each piece confirms this. The provenance record documents the work's creation, materials, and ownership history — all verified by the artist.
Why this matters
As AI-generated art becomes more prevalent, the distinction between human-created and machine-generated work will increasingly affect value, authenticity, and collectability.
This declaration is my commitment to transparency about where technology supports my practice and where the creative act remains entirely my own.