Laura Rautjoki & AI, Bathers in the Sauna, Summertime

Colorado Photographic Arts Center and Month of Photography Denver Festival Present:

HISTORY REIMAGINED

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CURATED BY SAMANTHA JOHNSTON

TODD DOBBS, LAURA RAUTJOKI, AND PHILLIP TOLEDANO

History Reimagined showcases the work of three artists who use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to challenge our understanding of truth in photography. Through their thought-provoking explorations, the artists confront biases in AI algorithms, reimagine historical narratives, and question the boundaries between reality and fiction.

March 1 – April 12, 2025 

COLORADO PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS CENTER

1200 LINCOLN STREET, SUITE 111, DENVER, CO 80203

Art exhibit viewing times: Tues. – Fri. (11 am – 5 pm); Sat. (noon – 4 pm)

OPENING RECEPTION & SPECIAL PROGRAMMING:
SATURDAY, MARCH 1 & SUNDAY, MARCH 2

CURATOR’S STATEMENT

In History Reimagined, photographic artists Todd Dobbs, Laura Rautjoki, and Phillip Toledano explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can shape our perceptions of truth. By harnessing AI, they challenge traditional notions of photographic authenticity, demonstrating how technology can both reflect and alter our understanding of the world.

Photography has long been considered a tool for documenting and understanding the world around us. But as these artists show, the rise of AI forces us to reconsider the very nature of truth in image-making. History Reimagined invites us to examine the complex relationship between image-making, bias, and historical memory, and to ask ourselves: How do we define truth in a world where the lines between real and fabricated are increasingly hard to discern?

Todd Dobbs’ work engages directly with the inherent biases embedded in AI’s algorithms. By prompting the AI with the phrase “photograph of a typical American,” Dobbs highlights the limitations and stereotypes that persist. Despite running the same prompt countless times, the resulting images are uniformly American, white, and suburban—a visual echo of dominant cultural norms. Dobbs is interested in AI’s ability to generate, interpret, and transform opening doors to imaginative realms that challenge conventional boundaries.

In contrast, Laura Rautjoki’s The Image of a Woman subverts historical portrayals of Finnish women, using AI to create alternative depictions. Drawing from her own identity and the historical imagery of Finnish women, Rautjoki’s work reimagines femininity outside of the male-dominated narratives that have shaped much of art history. Using AI, she creates alternative perspectives on the portrayal of Finnish women, allowing them to break free from the viewer’s expectations

Phillip Toledano’s Another America explores the fragility of truth in an age where the boundaries between reality and fiction are increasingly blurred. This series imagines an alternative version of New York City in the 1940s and 50s, telling a history that never was, built upon fictional stories penned by New York Times bestselling author John Kenney. In an era where AI-generated imagery can fabricate entire realities, Toledano’s work reflects on how easily visual evidence can be manipulated, offering a stark warning about the power of images to shape our beliefs, our identities, and even our understanding of the past.

As a curator, I am particularly interested in how these works provoke conversation at the intersection of art and technology. And as a center for photography, I feel that we must acknowledge and respond to the technological innovations that are transforming the medium. History Reimagined is a conversation about the future of image-making, the impact of technology on our visual culture, and the urgent need to critically engage with the images that shape our world.

— Samantha Johnston, CPAC Executive Director & Curator

EXHIBITION PREVIEW

Special thanks to 2025 Month of Photography Denver Festival Headline Sponsor David & Laura Merage Foundation

And Exhibition Sponsors:

Additional support provided by: