If you look at any art movement throughout history, it is possible to see how an endless list of factors unique to the time - including politics, culture, conflict, and environment - have influenced individual artists, their work, and what people want to see the most.
It should come as no surprise then, that the momentous global events of the last couple of years have, too, influenced recent art trends.
At the top of the list for most popular subjects is the current focus on the ‘natural world’, encapsulating both flora and fauna in all their innate glory.
This is likely to be in response to the time we spent confined to our homes during the pandemic, leading to the longing to return to the great outdoors, a desire to bring the outdoors in, and an increased awareness of the importance of self-care – as well as the methods with which we can achieve it.
Printmaker Guy Allen found that lockdown led to 'lunar inspiration’ and he created a series of striking original prints featuring the various phases of the moon (read more about this in our article about the artist here), which are available from our online gallery.
His small-scale melancholic piece Adrift is both elegant and thought-provoking in its simplicity; depicting a polar bear clinging to a small chunk of ice, to symbolise the precariousness of his dwindling glacial habitat.
Here at Collier & Dobson, we have always found the subjects of animals, and wild land and seascapes to be popular choices amongst our audience. And, duly, we have a wide range of beautiful prints, paintings and sculpture embracing this favoured trend to choose from.
Gary Walton is adept at creating epic coastal pieces in a style which is at once nostalgic and whimsical. His palette and compositions sympathetically reflect the colours and elements of nature whilst presenting them in a dreamlike and hugely appealing way. Seven Sisters Lighthouse is a great example, featuring chalky cliffs topped with green grassy tufts, alongside an expanse of soft sea blues, and punctuated with rustic buildings, rowing boats and silhouetted boughs.
The National Gallery by Alena Carvalho, authentically depicts the glorious calming effect of dappled sunlight dancing on the urban pavements of our country's capital.
Nicola Wakeling's breath-taking original painting Berneray Warmth is an awe-inspiring coastal scene conveying both the stillness and tranquillity of nature as well as its vastness and power. Her local landscapes of the Outer Hebrides inspire her work and her connection with them is clear to see, allowing the viewer to experience a sense of immersion in her dramatic coastal panoramas.
With the harrowing pandemics, contentious political shifts, and conflicts which have been experienced on such a vast scale over the last couple of years, it is perhaps no surprise that such a raw, accessible and bold artistic expression has surged in acclaim.
Although at first it may seem in contrast to the trend for an emphasis on nature, the addition of street art to otherwise sparse or gloomy urban spaces can serve to breathe new life into the aesthetics of an area, introduce humour, colour and even beautify what was once dull and unappealing. And so, when viewed that way, is not so different a trend after all.
As you may have read in our article last week, thanks to modern artists like Andy Warhol and contemporary artists like Banksy, Street Art has become an accepted and even sought-after art form over the last 50 years.
And just over the last decade, it has found its way from run-down buildings and urban sprawl to the prestigious spotlight of exhibitions and galleries.
Suffolk artist Chris Ross Williamson even includes several depictions of Banksy's street art within his collection of limited-edition prints, which each depict a different masterpiece from some revered modern and contemporary artists.
