Metamorph by Jonathan Mitton: An Ever-Evolving Augmented Reality Artwork
Augmented reality is no longer a novelty in contemporary art, it’s a medium in its own right. Few projects demonstrate this more convincingly than Metamorph, an ambitious augmented reality art series by Jonathan Mitton that fuses surrealist tradition, AI-driven processes, and interactive digital storytelling.
Currently presented as a tightly curated collection of four AR artworks, Metamorph is not static, fixed, or finished. Instead, it is designed to evolve over time, rewarding collectors with an artwork that continues to unfold long after it enters their collection.
What Is Metamorph?
Metamorph is a four-image augmented reality series, each work derived from a single still frame taken from a continuously evolving animation. When viewed physically, each piece stands as a compelling contemporary artwork. When activated through augmented reality, the work transforms, revealing motion, sound, and a dreamlike narrative that exists beyond the frame.
This dual existence — part physical, part digital — places Metamorph firmly within the growing field of interactive AR art, where the artwork responds to the viewer rather than remaining passive.
From Surrealist Drawing to AI Animation
The conceptual foundation of Metamorph is rooted in a classic surrealist technique: automatic drawing.
The project began with 20 hand-painted acrylic drawings, created intuitively to access the subconscious mind. These works were not preparatory sketches, but complete artworks in their own right. Jonathan Mitton then used these drawings as the core input for an AI system, instructing it to “enter a dream state” and selectively amplify details within the images.
Jonathan describes these original drawings as the “visual algorithm” underpinning his entire AI-led methodology. Rather than outsourcing creativity to the machine, the artist establishes strict authorship, the AI becomes a tool for transformation, not a replacement for artistic intent.
The result is a fluid, surreal animation that feels organic, uncanny, and deeply personal.
Sound, Authorship, and Total Creative Control
Unlike many technology-driven art projects, Metamorph maintains a singular creative voice throughout. Jonathan Mitton also composed the soundtrack himself, embedding his personal sonic language into the work. This integration of image, motion, and sound ensures that Metamorph functions as a cohesive artwork rather than a collaboration between disconnected systems. Every layer — physical painting, AI animation, augmented reality, and audio — originates from the artist’s hand.
Augmented Reality as a Living Medium
What sets Metamorph apart within the landscape of augmented reality art is its commitment to ongoing evolution.
The animation underpinning the series is not fixed. Jonathan is actively developing hidden games, interactive elements, and narrative surprises that will be revealed in future updates. Collectors are not simply purchasing a finished object, but gaining access to a living artwork that will continue to change over time.
This approach challenges traditional ideas of permanence and completion in contemporary art, replacing them with continuity, play, and discovery.
Why Collectors Are Paying Attention
For collectors, Metamorph offers several compelling qualities:
Augmented reality functionality without sacrificing physical presence
Limited availability within a tightly curated series
Strong artistic authorship grounded in surrealist practice
An artwork that evolves, revealing new content over years
A rare balance of conceptual depth and visual impact
The Future of AR Art Collecting
Projects like Metamorph point toward a future where contemporary art and technology coexist seamlessly. Augmented reality allows artists to extend meaning beyond the static image, while still respecting the importance of material presence, craftsmanship, and edition control. Rather than treating AR as a gimmick, Jonathan Mitton uses it as a narrative device, one that enables transformation, surprise, and sustained engagement.
At The WOWOW Gallery, we champion artists working at the forefront of augmented reality art, AI-assisted processes, and experimental contemporary practice.
Metamorph by Jonathan Mitton exemplifies this approach — a work that blends subconscious mark-making, artificial intelligence, and interactive technology into a single, evolving artistic experience. Explore Metamorph and other technology-driven contemporary artworks by Jonathan Mitton here.