Interesting article speculating about changes in the painting world. I've noticed a shift in the past 6-9 months in style and subject matter. Newer work is a blend of academic surrealism (which the article suggests we are moving away from), kinder/gentler abstraction, and Nature.
What does that mean? Academic surrealism is basically surrealism painted in an academic, classic realism style, that is impossible "surreal" compositions but painted very realistically like a figure laying on a couch on a multi-colored whale w rabbits jumping around and a tree growing out of her head? Yeah, we've seen plenty of that on Instagram and magazines like Beautiful Bizarre and Hi Fructose.
When I refer to "kindler/gentler abstraction," I see a new abstract style combining softer edges and brushstrokes, collage, softer palettes, and often on what would be considered small canvases for abstract work. Also, especially on Instagram there's a wave of abstract work that is more about the process and application, often using a gimmicky tool or pouring or dragging, that seems to be more about creating a "cool" image and video than about a message or pushing the visual envelope.
Last but not least, Nature has made a huge comeback in art the past 9 months or so. Animals, insects, water, flowers and all sorts of critters abound in artwork these days.
Why? I suppose the most obvious answer would be an "escape" from all the politics, war, mass shootings and general bad news we are inundated with daily. Along with that I'd toss in a pushback away from all the technology that seems to creep into every aspect of our daily lives.
Maybe we are moving away from figuration because it is people that are causing all these problems??
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/frieze-los-angeles-art-trends-2254170
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