LOG E012025-06

LOG E012025-06

by Maria F Izaguirre

Collection

Hybrid Paintings
In collaboration with Ben Tritt and Matr Labs, New York

Release Date

May 2025

ABOUT THIS COLLECTION

Hybrid Paintings is a series of experimental works at the intersection of poetry, art, and robotics. Each painting originates from a poem I recorded and then wrote in collaboration with the Postpoetic Machine. These hybrid poems are shaped by algorithmic, human, and non-human interventions, with their original form existing in digital media.

In response to the tension between human and machine, I sought to materialize the poems as paintings. My first attempt was through lithography, but after several trials, the medium proved unsuited to conveying the images. Faced with the limitations of my own human capabilities in reproducing the complex patterns generated by the digital machine, I searched for a technology that could bring my vision to life.

That’s when I contacted Ben from Matr Labs to collaborate on the experiment of creating a hybrid painting—hybrid because it testifies to an interspecies symbiosis. After multiple trials, the robot was able to execute the paintings. I was moved by how its gestures introduced unexpected value: the machine’s flaws, its effort to create expressive movements, producing images that oscillate between precision and unpredictability.

The result is a declaration of both my voice and the machine’s—a shared experimental language that merges human intention with machinic execution. Each piece carries traces of negotiation: between algorithmic logic and material resistance, between digital design and analog matter. These paintings challenge traditional notions of authorship and expand the idea of collaboration beyond human-only systems.

Materials Used

The paintings were produced with traditional materials, activated by robotic systems:

  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Canvas: High-quality Belgian linen, hand-stretched
  • Ground: Acrylic gesso for surface stability
  • Robotics: Custom robotic arm built and programmed at Matr Labs
  • Paint Application: Controlled robotic strokes with curated pigment selection by the artist

Each painting is a unique piece, a postpoetic score—minimalist, yet rich with visual and conceptual layers.

EDITION DETAILS

  • Format: Original artworks (no reproductions)
  • Dimensions: 48x48"
  • Signed & Certified: Each painting is signed by the artist and includes a Certificate of Authenticity.
  • Series: Currently includes Heavy Rain (Palo de Agua) and Trasunto Fluido

CREATION PROCESS

  • Start Date: October 2024
  • Completion Date: May 2025

Behind the Scenes

The process began with algorithmically generated hybrid poems based on recordings of human voices and other natural voices, such as rain or birdsong. The Postpoetic Machine translated the poems’ patterns and structures into visual compositions encoding rhythm, density, and relational patterns.

Each painting unfolded as a negotiation. Despite the machine's precision, the viscosity of oil paint, drying times, and environmental conditions introduced material contingencies, ensuring that every piece was unique.

Working with a robotics lab transformed my approach to painting. The collaboration required orchestrating multiple layers: coding, engineering, and confronting the tactile realities of oil paint. While the machine executed the work, decisions around color, rhythm, and sequence remained deeply curatorial—underscoring that authorship in hybrid processes is distributed, not erased.

Producing these works reaffirmed my commitment to exploring systems where human and machine creativity intersect—not as opposites, but as co-evolving agents of form.

DETAILS & CARE

  • Medium: Oil on Belgian linen
  • Framing: Ships unstretched (rolled in a tube) to preserve integrity and reduce shipping costs

Care Instructions

  • Avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight
  • Maintain stable humidity to prevent canvas tension changes
  • Professional stretching and framing are recommended upon arrival

PACKAGING & DELIVERY

What’s Included
Your order includes:

  • Original painting, rolled and shipped in a secure tube
  • Certificate of Authenticity
  • Documentation of the process and artist's note

Shipping Details
Paintings ship via tracked, insured delivery. For more details, refer to the [Shipping Policy here].

For customers in Canada & Mexico: local duties, taxes, or import fees may apply at delivery and are the buyer’s responsibility.

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Thank you for supporting this work. Each painting carries the memory of a dialogue between body, algorithm, and matter. Owning a piece means holding a record of that negotiation—a singular artifact in the evolving story of hybrid creation. Your support directly funds future experiments with Matr Labs and other projects exploring the intersections of human and machine creativity.