5 emerging contemporary artists you want to know in 2022
Right off the bat, I’d like to know in the comments if you agree with the intro of this article. It is based on a general insight into the development of ultra-contemporary art and I am more than sure that it can raise contrary opinions. Let's discuss it!
Minimalism for the Western lifestyle seems to remain a complex concept. As an art movement, Minimalism is defined as an extreme form of abstract art developed in the United States in the 1960s and characterized by simple geometric shapes — mostly squares and rectangles (Tate). A few decades later, modern Western minimalism emerged as a lifestyle movement based on “dissatisfaction with materialism” (The Guardian). People were looking for ways to declutter their lives and their surroundings.
Although modern minimalism is thought to have emerged in the 20th century, the roots of the philosophy go back much further. In the Western tradition, there is a story about a self-determined figure named Diogenes as early as 412 B.C., who traveled to Athens and decided he didn’t need a house and lived in a rainwater pipe or a water barrel. Yet even then he was known as some crazy version of Socrates as he opposed many societal norms (if he lived today, he'd possibly be in prison). In numerous Eastern philosophies, the history of a minimalist essence is much better developed with philosophies such as Zen Buddhism, that teaches contentment with little to nothing.
Yet despite minimalism’s deep roots and trendy attempts, our minds and environments are increasingly cluttered. The minimalist lifestyle trend is criticized for being a privilege of the wealthy and may lead to even more consumption in the long run (Kyle Chaika, NY Times). It’s probably needless to mention that the social condition always reflects back on local and international art. I find that artists in recent years aren’t trying to escape the chaos and abundance of things anymore, but instead — combine them in a rich fauvistic way. So I’d like to introduce you to 5 artists that I find very interesting for this reason and that I believe are worth following for both art admirers and novice collectors.
- Salman Toor
Salman Toor was born in Lahore, Pakistan, and currently lives and works in New York City. Toor explores the male gaze and portrays everyday reality of a gay man, using a distinct, elongated brushstroke and moss green hues in many of his artworks. Toor reminds you of a modern Van Gogh, who speaks about the reality of individualistic culture, where one is simultaneously overwhelmed and lonely.
“Technology allows you to be alone in a room full of people, or overconnected and alone as you isolate in your apartment,” reflects the Pakistan-born, New York-based painter Salman Toor, born 1983, whose first solo museum show at the Whitney was truncated this Spring on account of enforced closures. “I have to turn my phone off because I feel like I am in other people’s minds all the time. It moves back and forth between connection and alienation.” (Via flaunt.com)
Toor reflects on the quarantine period 2020–2022 and the isolation he experienced. He already attracted vast attention from collectors, he is showing in numerous exhibitions and quickly winning the admiration of art lovers.
2. Elizabeth Huey
Elizabeth Huey was born in Virginia and earned an MFA from Yale University and a BA in psychology from George Washington University. She studied painting in France, New York, and Manhattan. Huey’s flamboyant and fauvistic works are characterized by an abundance of vivid characters in action, elements, and colors. Her artwork resembles a symphony that you really have to listen to from beginning to end. It combines many surprising elements into a seamless, dreamy allure. According to her website, Huey’s paintings are about memory and reconstruction: a totemic reminder of our human capacity to overcome trauma and draw invention and intimacy from disaster.
In contrast to Toor, many of her artworks focus primarily on female figures, as she emphasizes both the romantic and platonic connections and relationships women have with their inner and outer worlds. She explores sexuality, intimacy, and sensual expression, often inserting a couple secretly kissing somewhere in the painting.
3. Tomokazu Matsuyama
Tomokazu Matsuyama was born in Japan and currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. The artist stands out in sheer talent of combining patterns, colors and objects turning casual situations into a sparkly wonderland. Matsuyama’s works give us so much to process and gaze at, yet they remain mysterious and unrevealing.
Perhaps what makes his art so appealing is that he combines the aesthetics of Western and Eastern cultures. He seemingly has processed the conjunction personally due to his background. He uses mixed media and involves other people in the process of creating his artwork. He also samples various artists such as Matisse and Basquiat as he explains that sampling is a way for him to show respect and appreciation.
4. Michael Slusakowicz
Michael Slusakowicz works with painting, drawing, and video formats. The artist’s style has many facets, but it seems that he has recently discovered a bright, maximalist side to himself that’s sensitive, esoteric, and bold, with indigo blues and neon greens gleaming right through.
"The imagery often penetrates a veiled side of contemporary society; it searches for the pure core of humanity with its dark and bright aspects, it’s needs and desires, and it’s braveness and fears." Via saatchiart.com
“During the process, random images come to mind, which I can only describe as channeling.”-Michael Slusakowicz
Through this way of working, the artist taps into the subconscious dream world that is both familiar and surreal. The spontaneously composed images interact with each other through tone, color, and repetition of images, allowing the viewer to create their own interpretation and narrative (Saatchi art). In his more recent works, the daring color choice captivates us into a sort of contradictive melancholy, where we see a joyous occasion and people dancing, but that somehow feels nostalgic, mysterious, and heavy.
5. Mia Bergeron
Mia Bergeron grew up in New York City and studied classical painting in Florence, Italy. She is a contemporary oil painter who combines everyday scenery with an impressionistic, magical glare. Some of her artworks are down-to-earth, realistic and academic, others have a rather contemporary aesthetic, while most of her work combines both. For me, Bergeron is first and foremost a painter of light — most of her works focus on different light sources, from something as simple as candlelight to more nuanced pool water lighting.
Bergeron uses autobiographical motifs in her work, exploring female figures, aesthetics, and the gaze.
“I find that portraying women feels as if I am holding a mirror to myself, painting my own gender as subject matter.” — Mia Bergeron
I have a feeling that Bergeron hasn’t yet peaked in her career yet. I might add, that her technique of intuitive impressionistic strokes mixed with a dreamy futuristic approach has great potential for successfully transitioning into the digital world.
I expect I’ve introduced at least one artist you haven’t heard of. This was only a brief selection, which of course can be extended. Would you like us to feature lesser-known digital artists, too? Let us know in the comments.
By Kotryna Tribusinaite, 2022
©ArtAdvance
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