The American view: Finding joy in Turkey’s AI-powered nostalgia

Obeca continued, “I see AI art in a similar way. When I first encountered this technology, I thought, ‘What can be done with this tool?’ Using it gave me great joy; for someone like me who couldn’t create visuals through traditional means, it felt like an incredible invention. Later, as I came to understand how these models work, I realized I could finally satisfy the urge to make cartoons that I had buried years ago.”

That struck a deep chord. Discovering a way to satisfy your creative side is a joyful experience. That’s why I’ve been writing this monthly column and my weekly column over on Business Reporter for about thirteen years now. The process is satisfying in and of itself. 

Curious, I asked Obeca why they’d chosen the style they’re known online for. After some thought, they mused, “I think the 1970s were a kind of peak for humanity in many ways. … I simply love the 1970s aesthetic. I love the colours and moods of films and photos from that era. The ’70s are also a distant time I vaguely recall from my childhood. I enjoy taking things from today’s world or even imagined futures and presenting them as if they were ordinary objects of that decade.”

That tracks. Personally, I found the 1970s to be hopelessly bland. It was called the “Malaise Era” for good reasons. Everything everywhere seemed to be coloured in dull earth tones and stained with cigarette smoke residue. Life seemed to move slower, presumably because all the world’s hairspray and cocaine were being stockpiled for the 1980s. Still, there was a distinct mood to the 1970s that I’ve never forgotten. Seeing that mood celebrated through a talented satirist’s perspective is — in local parlance — a “hoot.”

I asked Obeca what motivated them to keep at it, since their creative efforts are both time consuming and unpaid labour. They explained, “I genuinely have fun during the creative process. First off, writing prompts often feels like writing short stories, which is already enjoyable in itself. Then, when the AI model produces exactly what I had in mind and I see the image I imagined come to life, it’s a wonderful feeling. For someone who can’t draw, it’s almost like casting a spell.

As my comparative religions profession from uni loved to quote, “at that moment, the monk was enlightened.” I got it. Yeah, GAI is a monstrous resource hog that mostly fills the world with garbage, but so is the big-I Internet and I use the living hell out that that every bloody day. The small gifts that these technologies have brought us might not outweigh the harm they’ve caused along the way, but they’re a compelling reason to reform and tame the tech rather than burn it all to the ground and salt the data centres. 

I look forward to Obeca’s creations every day. They give me a laugh, and I strive to give him one in return with a goofy take. There’s no way to tell how many people might have seen our exchanges in their feed. Hopefully they got a laugh as well. It’s a way to make life an infinitesimally less awful experience for a few seconds which, I figure, makes it all worthwhile. Okay, maybe not all worthwhile but … you get what I mean. I hope. If not, take a look at Obeca’s portfolio. I’m sure there’s something there that’ll make you grin like a child again. 

[1] I’m being deliberately vague and indistinct about Obeca’s identify at their request.