What Art Movement Could Be Next?

Since the beginning of time people have made art, from the cave paintings to the Renaissance, art has always been a key part of the human experience and self-expression. Also, it has always had a significant relation to history, with different movements coming in and out of style and often having been influenced by their place in time. Most movements in art have lasted between 10 and 100 years with some of the most notable being Impressionism, Pop Art and Abstract. Every movement has had some relation to its time period, the most well-known being Pop Art emerging at the same time as pop culture which began in the 1950s, the art being influenced by what was happening at the time. This is shown in the iconic portraits of Marylin Monroe and Pop Art advertisements that are famous from the time. With the growth of social media, it seems as though with so much room for expression online and space for artists, that for the last few years there has not really been a specific art movement for the time we are currently living in. However, when looking closely some of the trends can be noticed and we can even predict what movement is to come next.

Focusing on more recent art movements we can seek to find out what movement we are in now. It is said we are in the Contemporary Art Movement which began in the mid to late 20th century with artists such as Keith Harring and Takashi Murakami creating abstract and experimental contemporary works. Although contemporary art is still around, it is much less booming than it was at its beginning. More recently we have had a huge increase in digital art and illustration due to the developments in technology that have happened over the 2000’s as well as the creation of software’s such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, making digital creation much easier. This could mean we are currently in a digital age of art or a digital art movement, identifying this could help us predict what movement is coming next.

Fortunately, we also have something art lovers in the past never had – social media – which means it is much easier to gain insight into what is becoming popular and trending, thus making it possible to predict what movement we may enter next. With the rise in digital art and illustration there has been a lot of simple cutesy gaining popularity all over social media. Instagram is a hot spot for these cutesy illustrations. There have been many minimalist adorable illustrations circulating and thus spreading positive messages, they also often feature drawings of animals and landscapes, usually using a pastel colour pallet. This could be due to the rise of the ‘cottage core aesthetic’ that has been all over TikTok recently. Alternatively, this could be in response to the decline in mental health that has happened globally since the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. The World Health Organisation published in 2022 that the global estimate of people suffering from depression and anxiety has risen by a shocking 25%. This could be an explanation as to why so much art being seen and shared on social media today is incredibly positive and light-hearted.

Completely contrasting this, there has also been a rise in darker style art. On TikTok there has been a particular rise in horror based abstract art, with artists creating creepy paintings combining elements of surrealism with abstract and contemporary art. There has also been an increase in the popularity in dark academia design and fashion, the combination of these things could suggest the beginning of a darker art movement focused on horror based surrealist artwork. This also ties in with the mental health impact, as people tend to express things differently and dark art can be used to express sombre feelings. This has happened all throughout history with artists such as Frida Kahlo and Zdzisław Beksiński using art to express their own personal struggles, history, and mental state.

It is clear how history, social media and technology have influenced art into what it is today. Looking into all these factors it becomes possible to predict what art movement could come next. Whether it is surrealist horror or positive illustration, there is a good chance social media will have a significant impact and that the time we are living in will be reflected in what is to come. Art will always be an incredible medium for expression. Until it is known what movement is to come, art lovers can enjoy what is out there and maybe even inspire a style of art that is completely unique.