Artificial intelligence (AI) has cracked the code to success! In a new study from Kellogg School of Management NWU, researchers used AI to mine data from 800,000 art images & over 2,000 artists, including Jackson Pollock & Vincent Van Gogh. Using algorithms for image recognition, AI found that in the years leading up to Pollock’s & Van Gogh’s success, or “hot streaks” as the study calls them, the artists went through a period of exploration (studying diverse styles or topics), followed immediately by exploitation (focusing on a narrow area to develop deep expertise). Neither alone leads to a “hot streak”, but rather both working in tandem that creates magic. It’s believed this sequence positioned the artists for their “hot streaks,” or burst of high-impact works clustered together in close succession. Before developing his famed “drip technique” in the late 40s, Pollack dabbled in drawings, print making & surrealist paintings. Van Gogh’s artistic breakthrough came in the late 1880s with Starry Night & Sunflowers, two of his greatest works. His production prior to 1888 was mostly still lifes, pencil drawings & portraits in somber tones, not the bright, swirling hues he’s known for today. This new awareness of what triggers a “hot streak” will enable institutions to intentionally create environments to help their members thrive. On average, a hot streak lasts about five years, after which researches say, people return to normal & no longer follow the sequential pattern.
