L.A-based artist Nicola Verlato rendered a series of heavily violent visions. The 'How the West Was Won' collection depicts several battle scenes and fights, involving blood and weapons. The artist takes advantage of foreshortening and an exaggerated sense of movement to create snapshots of the brutal scenes. The series is highly engaging and allows the viewer to feel as though they are a part of the scene. The aesthetics of the pieces lean on the Renaissance genre, with dramatic lights and darks, and special attention put on the exactness of the human form.
The allegorical pieces are meant to be unsettling, leaving the viewer reflective. The series reviews the cultural clash between the ideologies of monotheism and polytheism. Veralto communicates that the tensions between these concepts has become the foundation for modern civilization. The artist says on his blog, "Monotheism clearly won in most aspects of western culture but polytheism still survives in pop culture.”
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Extreme Violence Art
- The trend of creating artwork that showcases extreme violence has emerged as a way for artists to provoke strong emotions and challenge societal norms.
- Renaissance-inspired Aesthetics
- Artists are incorporating Renaissance-inspired aesthetics, such as dramatic lights and darks and attention to the human form, to create visually captivating pieces.
- Exploring Cultural Clash
- Artworks are being created to explore the cultural clash between monotheism and polytheism, allowing viewers to reflect on the tensions between these ideologies in modern society.
Where This Applies
- Art
- Artists and art galleries can capitalize on the trend of extreme violence art by curating exhibitions that showcase thought-provoking and challenging artwork.
- Digital Art Platforms
- Digital art platforms can provide a space for artists who create artworks with Renaissance-inspired aesthetics to showcase and sell their pieces to a global audience.
- Art Education
- Educational institutions and art schools can incorporate the exploration of cultural clashes between ideologies as a theme in art courses, encouraging students to create thought-provoking and meaningful artworks.
