48 x 20 1/8 in
Gretchen Andrew (b. 1989, Los Angeles, California) is an innovative American artist whose work blends traditional art forms with advanced technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and algorithms. Known for her subversive and playful approach to challenging power structures, Gretchen has gained recognition for her exploration of the intersections between digital culture and the art world. She coined the term "search engine art" and is recognized as the first "internet imperialist" artist, using code, glitter, and art to disrupt prestigious institutions like Frieze, The Whitney Biennial, and ArtForum, among others.
Gretchen’s artistic journey began with a background in Information Systems, a field she studied at Boston College while on a track scholarship. After working in Silicon Valley at Intuit and Google, she transitioned to painting in 2012. Her unique approach to art is rooted in both her technical expertise and mentorship under British figurative painter Billy Childish, with whom she apprenticed from 2012 to 2017. This combination of classical training and digital innovation forms the foundation of her work, which has been exhibited in prominent galleries and museums in Europe and the United States, including De Re Gallery and Arebyte Gallery.
One of Gretchen’s most remarkable and acclaimed series of works is her Facetune Portraits series, which critiques the digital beauty standards promoted by AI-driven filters on platforms like TikTok and Zoom. Using custom-built robotics, Gretchen transforms these digital filters into oil paintings, making visible the process of digital modification. Each portrait in the series presents both the unaltered and AI-enhanced versions of famous women, exposing the tension between reality and the homogenized ideal of beauty. Through this dual representation, Andrew reveals how technology increasingly shapes our perceptions of identity, highlighting the growing influence of algorithms in dictating beauty standards.
In her Facetune Portraits: Universal Beauty series, Gretchen expands on this theme by depicting 100 women from 100 different countries. These works challenge the idea of a singular, global standard of beauty by juxtaposing the unmodified face with its algorithmically altered counterpart. This series critiques how AI filters erase individuality, reducing diverse expressions of beauty into a uniform, "perfect" form. The portraits spark conversations about the conflict between natural diversity and the artificial, digital desire for perfection.
Through her groundbreaking exploration of technology, beauty, and identity, Gretchen Andrew continues to lead the conversation at the intersection of art and digital culture, fostering critical discussions about the role of technology in shaping societal beauty standards.
Her work has been featured in major publications such as The Washington Post, Fast Company, Forbes, and The Financial Times, along with numerous private and public collections, cementing her position as a pioneering figure in the art world.