I love wandering around the RA Summer Show... It's the only opportunity to see artwork by the general public and artists alike, all exhibited under one roof, where you can buy a print for £100 or a painting for tens of thousands of pounds. My boyfriend and I play a silly game every year where we have a budget of £10 000 to spend... if only!
The more I become interested in sociology, the more I notice that contemporary art and design lacks any commentary on the status quo. There are hundreds of artworks exhibited at the summer show but I found only a handful to be relevant to today. Here are some of my favourites...
A message of hope?!...
An obvious comment of corporate culture and consumerism...
Tracey Emin is a regular exhibitor at the show. I like this painting because for me it illustrates how a lot of young people feel today. We are a product of our world and we all react in one way or another to our environment...
What I found particularly interesting was this kind of "urban realism" trend appearing, with landscape scenes of council estates, boarded up shops and streets jam packed with cars...
A somewhat grim but modern, realistic view of urban life. I am pleased though that other artists are trying to capture the mood of contemporary culture. I guess it is our job as artists and designers to strive to improve it's aesthetics and continue to make the world a better place... ah the age old challenge, good luck with that one!
(I have actually misplaced the catalogue so I can't credit the other artists names. If any of the above paintings are yours, I would be happy to add your name if you get in touch :)
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