In 2022, Turkish artist Alper Yesiltas stunned fans with his artificial intelligence (AI) images of several late music icons. His images included an aged Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, and Michael Jackson, and more music, film and other personalities in his series As If Nothing Happened.
Videos by American Songwriter
Using AI technology, Yesiltas has expanded on his project by aging younger artists including Harry Styles, Dua Lipa, Justin Bieber, and Billie Eilish, in addition to environmental activist Greta Thunberg, in his latest collection entitled “Young Age(d).”
“Behind this project lies the question of ‘What will some of the young people we know look like a few decades from now?’” said Yesiltas, who shared the images on his Instagram page.
To create the images, Yesiltas used a combination of photo editing programs, including Adobe Lightroom and VSCO, and the AI photo enhancer Remini.
“I am using various software—some for obtaining realistic textures and light, others for photo editing,” Yesiltas told American Songwriter. “The most important part is making the image I’m processing feel realistic to me. Intentionally or unintentionally, I know a lot about the person I’m working with.”
Yesiltas added, “Naturally, the moment I like the most is when I think the image in front of me feels real.”
Alper’s AI art isn’t limited to musicians and includes other aged images of actors Robert Pattinson, Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, and the late River Phoenix and James Gandolfini. In another recent series, “Thisness,” Yesiltas explored what famous figures like Benjamin Franklin, Al Capone, Charles Chaplin, Audrey Hepburn and more would look like if they lived in our time now.
In addition to his Young Age(d) series, Yesiltas recently added Jim Morrison, The Notorious B.I.G., and Aaliyah to his previous As If Nothing Happened collection of musicians. (Check out the images and full story behind Yesiltas’ As If Nothing Happened series HERE.)
Take a look at Alper Yesiltas latest (older) famous faces of music in Young Age(d), along with an addition to his As If Nothing Happened collection below:
Young Age(d) Collection:
Dua Lipa
Justin Bieber
Billie Eilish
As If Nothing Happened Collection (New Additions):
Jim Morrison
Aaliyah
The Notorious B.I.G.
Photos: Courtesy of Alper Yesiltas
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