Stand by Me (First Steps)

From the artist:

I lost my older brother when I was 20. I don’t talk about it much, but I miss him every day. I’m With You is a series of works imagining what life would look like if he were still here, and depicting how, in some ways, he still is.

These works were created by training an AI model on pictures of him, then interrupting the development of each image mid-generation, leaving behind only the hazy imprint of his form. For me, these pieces are reflections on grief and memory, absence and presence, joy and hope. They’re about possibility, what could’ve been, and what lives on.

Music was a shared language for us. Each piece in this collection is titled after a song he loved, or would’ve loved. I’m With You is the name of the last album from the Red Hot Chili Peppers—his favorite band—that we were able to enjoy together. Listening to their music brings me closer than anything to the feeling that he’s still with me.

—Kevin Esherick

Pigment print print on 310gsm Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White paper, signed 5 x 7in

The unique digital artwork comes with an archival print, and is connected to an NFT on the ethereum blockchain. The original purchaser of this artwork will receive the physical print, shipped directly from the artist at no additional cost. Upon resale, the accompanying physical work shall be shipped to the new owner at their cost.