# Cultural Commentary Illustrations Artist Daniel Fishel Creates Art as Commentary on the Mundane By Jordan Sowunmi | Published 2011-05-17 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/daniel-fishel References: [beautifuldecay](http://beautifuldecay.com/2011/05/16/daniel-fishel/) & [o-fishel](http://o-fishel.com/#968416/Hello) Daniel Fishel is a Queens, New York based illustrator/designer who specializes in [conceptual illustrations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/soccerthemed-illustrations) and [hand-lettering/design](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/illustrated-bookmarks). His work features a diverse array of characters that serve as a detached commentary on different aspects of social life. His work provides a fascinating take on cultural norms. One of my favorite illustrations features an older, “society” woman dressed regally, head to toe in the latest fashions. Her face, however, is non-existent and so is the rest of her body. The piece is entitled “Vanity.” Other highlight pieces illustrate how older and younger generations share what they know, how a teenager creates an alter-ego through backyard wrestling and how the artist lost his love for basketball Daniel Fishel is beginning to have his work widely featured both online and in print. His work has appeared in Nylon Guys, The Stranger and the Pennsylvnia Gazette, just to name a few. Sales of his prints have been so successful that he now offers full-scale print service through an [online store on his website](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/artistedition-jigsaw-puzzles). ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.9/10 - Popularity: 54% | Activity: 26% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Conceptual Illustration:** The trend of using conceptual illustrations to comment on cultural norms creates opportunities for disruptive innovation in digital art and graphic design services. - **Diverse Character Representation:** The trend of including diverse characters in illustrations that serve as commentary on social life creates opportunities for disruption in the publishing and advertising industries. - **Online Art Sales:** The trend of successful online sales of prints by artists creates opportunities for disruptive innovation in online art marketplaces and platforms. ### Where This Applies - **Graphic Design:** The use of conceptual illustrations by artists like Daniel Fishel to comment on social life presents disruptive innovation opportunities for graphic design services in the advertising, marketing, and media industries. - **Publishing:** The trend of including diverse characters in cultural commentary illustrations presents disruptive innovation opportunities in publishing for inclusive children's books and graphic novels. - **E-commerce:** The successful online sales of prints by artists like Daniel Fishel presents disruptive innovation opportunities for the e-commerce industry in the form of online art marketplaces and platforms. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Miniature Artful Hip-Hop Landmarks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/danny-cortes.md) - [Striking Urban Wildlife Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/clare-allin.md) - [Digital Archetype Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/christian-rex-van-minnen-1.md) - [Limited Humorous Art Prints](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/david-shrigley-1.md) - [Illustrated Streetwear Capsules](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wasted-youth-x-tappei.md) - [Human Duality-Themed Abstract Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/passive-aggression.md) - [Digital City-Inspired Art Works](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grand-central-station.md) - [Color-In Fish Packaging](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/summertime-art-box.md) - [Art-Inspired Streetwear Exhibits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/silent-echoes.md)