The turn of the millennium was supposed to be widespread chaos. (SPOILER ALERT, it wasn’t.) People all over the world stockpiled necessities as doomsayers predicted a computer glitch known as the Y2K Bug would collapse worldwide infrastructures as soon as the year 2000 hit. Yeah…none of that ended up happening. Instead, the anxiety of the time shifted toward a utopian futurism that permeated all facets of art, fashion, and entertainment. That’s how the Y2K aesthetic was born. “Subtle” is notRead more
Posts tagged: #art trends
Art Trends: The Rise of Artificial Intelligence in Art
Whenever new technology promises to revolutionize the art world, you can sense the anxiety that washes over the art community. Now is one of those times. With the arrival of text-to-image programs such as DALL-E-2 and Midjourney, we’re all currently witnessing the rise of artificial intelligence in art. Many living, breathing artists feel as if their livelihoods are at stake, and understandably so. This is the end of art as we know it. Well…sort of. If it’s any consolation, thereRead more
Art Trends: Abstracting the Human Form
This week, we explore a recent trend that’s not directly related to art market sales. When looking at gallery exhibits and solo shows, I’ve noticed that art galleries and collectors give more recognition to artists who abstract the human form in their work. In other words, they illustrate subjects that read as human, but with unrealistic bodies and/or faces. Meaning unnaturally smooth skin, simplified faces, abnormal limbs, etc. Our brains are able to recognize the human elements, even though theRead more
Art Trends: The Father of Photography Returns
As with every trend, interest fluctuates over time. No trend remains in the dusty volumes of art history books. Lately, the art world has rekindled its interest in photography in the same way it did when Vivian Maier’s photographs were found. For some unknown reason, photography brings in less money in the market than paintings. Perhaps it’s because there’s a persistent debate on whether photography is on the same level of art forms like painting and sculpture. However, in theRead more
Art Trends: The Surge of Immersive Art Experiences
Last time, we discussed Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Warrior potentially becoming the most expensive Western work of art sold at auction in Asia. In March, that potential became a reality after the painting sold for approximately $41.8 million. This week, however, we’re shifting our focus from the art market to innovative trends in art institutions. Let’s talk about immersive art experiences! Interestingly, immersive exhibits aren’t new. Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror installations have been popular since debuting in the ‘60s. You may haveRead more
Art Trends: Basquiat’s Rise to Global Notoriety
The last Art Trends post covered the work of 15th century Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli. Now, we’re exploring more contemporary art as we dive into one of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s paintings. The late Basquiat is a well-known artist typically associated with Pop artist Andy Warhol. However, despite his close connection with Warhol, Basquiat himself was not a Pop artist. In fact, he was a Neo-Expressionist. Why are we talking about Basquiat in an Art Trends post in 2021? Well, on MarchRead more
Art Trends: Botticelli’s $92.2 Million Dollar Painting
For our next installment of Art Trends, we’re taking it back to the 15th century. Yes, thus far I’ve mostly referenced contemporary art, but now it’s time to switch things up! In the art market, trends don’t always involve contemporary work. Sometimes old documents resurface or new studies emerge on the “masters,” which result in their paintings selling for high prices at auctions. An art canonical “master”can also trend in the market when paintings previously stowed away in private collectionsRead more
World Building: Queer Black Artists and the Portrayal of Desire (Warning: NSFW Images)
CAUTION: This post on queer Black artists features art depicting nudity and sexually explicit acts, as well as photography with partial nudity. In honor of Black History Month, I want to focus on a trend within a specific group of artists, rather than the art market. It is important to note how Black artists, especially queer Black artists, have created their own spaces and modes of representation in the art world. Their contribution to the development of contemporary art isRead more
Art Trends: Surrealism and the Work of Leonora Carrington
Who comes to mind when we think about Surrealism? Salvador Dalí? Andre Bréton? René Magritte? Or maybe Max Ernst? These are the most common names one associates with the movement. They are the Surrealists we frequently see in museums, contemporary references, and art history books. What about the artists we don’t see? In other words, what about women? It took many years of art history courses for me to learn about women’s presence in art before the late 1940s. ItRead more
Art Trends: The Resurgence of Post-Impressionism
Art movements stem from a desire to break away from the confines of previous artistic conventions. For example, Impressionism is a departure from realism, not only in technique, but also in composition. The expressive brushstrokes of Impressionist works emphasize how light hits the planes of a particular subject. The artists of this movement also created in-the-moment impressions of their subjects, further separating themselves from realism’s true-to-life depictions of the world. Therefore, Post-Impressionism is a departure from the spontaneity and useRead more