# Seizing the Means of Production: Exploring the Landscape of Crafting, Adapting and Navigating Generative AI Models in the Visual Arts

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.17688 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.17688/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 16 of its 48 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 26 Apr 2024.

## Builds on (most cited first, 16 of 16)

- [PyTorch: An Imperative Style, High-Performance Deep Learning Library](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1912.01703/) (2019)
- [SDXL: Improving Latent Diffusion Models for High-Resolution Image Synthesis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.01952/) (2023)
- [Rewriting a Deep Generative Model](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2007.15646/) (2020)
- [Resolution Dependent GAN Interpolation for Controllable Image Synthesis Between Domains](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2010.05334/) (2020)
- [Art and the science of generative AI: A deeper dive](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.04141/) (2023)
- [The Surprising Creativity of Digital Evolution: A Collection of Anecdotes from the Evolutionary Computation and Artificial Life Research Communities](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1803.03453/) (2018)
- [Few-Shot Adaptation of Generative Adversarial Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2010.11943/) (2020)
- [PromptPaint: Steering Text-to-Image Generation Through Paint Medium-like Interactions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.05184/) (2023)
- [Direct-Manipulation Visualization of Deep Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1708.03788/) (2017)
- [A Comprehensive Survey on Data-Efficient GANs in Image Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.08329/) (2022)
- [A Survey on Generative Modeling with Limited Data, Few Shots, and Zero Shot](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.14397/) (2023)
- [Model Sketching: Centering Concepts in Early-Stage Machine Learning Model Design](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.02884/) (2023)
- [Active Divergence with Generative Deep Learning -- A Survey and Taxonomy](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.05599/) (2021)
- [An HCI-Centric Survey and Taxonomy of Human-Generative-AI Interactions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.07127/) (2023)
- [TorchGAN: A Flexible Framework for GAN Training and Evaluation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1909.03410/) (2019)
- [A Visual Programming Paradigm for Abstract Deep Learning Model Development](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1905.02486/) (2019)

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [Adaptable Symbolic Music Infilling with MIDI-RWKV](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.13001/) (2025)
- [Musical Agent Systems: MACAT and MACataRT](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.00023/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

In this paper, we map out the landscape of options available to visual artists for creating personal artworks, including crafting, adapting and navigating deep generative models. Following that, we argue for revisiting model crafting, defined as the design and manipulation of generative models for creative goals, and motivate studying and designing for model crafting as a creative activity in its own right.