By Madison Gonzalez ‘27
Within the past few years, there has been an increase in art with messages about politics, social justice, and gender equality. “Rise Up” by Nick Walker, for example, depicts what seems to be a young man painting “RISE UP” in red paint on a graffitied wall. I can’t pinpoint exactly which issue this is targeting, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say social justice.
I support and appreciate this type of art because there are some serious societal issues that need addressing and fixing. This art can act to show of what the issues are, and sometimes how to resolve them.
Another aspect of art that is rising in popularity is textured art. Textured art is exactly what it sounds like — art that incorporates touch.
This piece above, courtesy of Etsy, shows a very nice pattern with ridges. I’m not really a fan of this piece, just because the background, table, and painting are all based on brown. Essentially, it lacks contrast and creativity with the colors.
However, the texture makes up for the color by appealing to the sense of touch. In its overall appearance, I find that the big picture reminds me of a Zen garden.
From these two examples, we can see that these themes will stay in the modern scene for a while, especially art that discusses problems in our current society.