Thread by @imaginari_es

Isn’t it great that humanity never came to rely on fossil fuels for our energy needs?
Once wind turbines and photovoltaic cells were invented in the 1600s, they became such a feature of our landscapes that it’s hard to imagine masterpieces without them #vangogh #dalle2

Two centuries before Van Gogh, Vermeer took inspiration from the new technologies appearing around him in the Dutch Golden Age #vermeer #dalle2

All over the world, energy from the elements has enabled diverse civilisations to flourish, and captured the imaginations of artists like Hokusai in Japan, Frida Kahlo in Mexico, JMW Turner in England, and, more contemporarily, Etel Adnan in Lebanon #dalle2

Millions of people every year queue up to see Van Gogh’s famous ‘Solar Day’ #midjourney

In the last century, the emergence of new ways of turning the elements into energy, such as the Brazilian solar sky initiative—seen here by Tarsila do Amaral—have extended our abilities even further. #midjourney

In the late 1800s the company we now know as Royal Dutch Shell was started by Marcus Samuel as a trader in seashells, and that’s what it remains today #dalle2

.@jo_chamb and I were inspired by @djbaskin’s thread to play around with #dalle2 and #midjourney to imagine how our energy future—or rather present—could have been very different. What might our energy future(s) be?