A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Concept Art by Chris Foss

Check out A.I. Artificial Intelligence concept art by Chris Foss!

Every Friday I feature artwork from a classic of science fiction cinema. This week's "Flashback Friday" post is on A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001).

A.I. is a polarizing film with the critic site Rotten Tomatoes calling it "a curious, not always seamless, amalgamation of Kubrick's chilly bleakness and Spielberg's warm-hearted optimism. [The film] is, in a word, fascinating."  One of the artists who helped develop the films striking visuals for the legendary Stanley Kubrick was Chris Foss.

Christopher "Chris" F. Foss is a professional concept illustrator who's worked on Hollywood films like Dune (1977), Superman (1978) and Alien (1979)

Check out the rest of the images after the jump and find out why he got fired (click to enlarge).


While the film was written, directed and produced by Steven Spielberg, it was originally developed by Stanley Kubrick in the 1970s until his death in the 1990s. A.I. is based on Brian Aldiss' 1969 short story "Super-Toys Last All Summer Long."

Foss started working for Kubrick visualizing the film when the two split for creative differences. According to an interview with Moviefone Foss was frozen out of the project after the two disagreed on one of his paintings.

Kubrick was known as a very meticulous and abrasive director and some found him difficult to work with.
"One day I came back after what we would call a rather good lunch, and Stanley [Kubrick] is standing in my room scowling at the picture, and this has been repainted more times than you've had hot dinners." Foss recalled, "He said, 'This picture's not working,' and I absolutely blew up. I said, 'Stanley, this picture is not working because the concept is not working, because the film is not working, because there is no clear concept!' And he hit the wall and said, 'OK, no clear concept, no clear concept' and walked out. And then the next week when I called to say my car wasn't working, I was late, they said, 'Well actually, Chris, you don't need to come back.'"

These paintings are from a scene where New York is flooded.

See more of Chris Foss' work on the film at ChrisFossArt.com.

Click on the links if you want to see more of Chris Foss' work and A.I. Artificial Intelligence on my blog.

What do you think of the concept art? If you've seen A.I Artificial Intelligence what did you think?

Official A.I Artificial Intelligence Summary
It is the near future. The polar ice caps have melted as a result of global warming leaving many coastal cities underwater. Man has created machines that are aware of their own existence to help us with the increasing environmental damage that we are doing. One of these machines, a young boy, is the first robot programmed with emotion. Now his "love" is overpowering his robotic programming. He seeks answers as to whether he can ever be more than just a machine. 

Updated ;)

directed by Stanley Kubrick
Cinematography by Janusz Kamiński
Producton Design by Rick Carter

Starring: Haley Joel Osment,  Jude Law,  Frances O'Connor,  Brendan Gleeson,  William Hurt

Release date: June 29, 2001 (USA)

Official Site: http://kubrickfilms.warnerbros.com

© Copyright 2001 Amblin Entertainment,  The Kennedy/Marshall Company, Stanley Kubrick Productions, DreamWorks Distribution (Int.),  Warner Bros., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Warner Bros Pictures. All rights reserved