# Overlooked Street Scenes Kim Cogan Captures the Beauty of Everyday City Environments By Jason Soy | Published 2012-02-13 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kim-cogan References: [juxtapoz](http://www.juxtapoz.com/Current/recent-works-by-kim-cogan) & [kimcogan.blogspot](http://kimcogan.blogspot.com/) People often overlook just how beautifully constructed their cities are, but that’s not the case with Kim Cogan. He’s made urban scenes the subject of his mesmerizing [oil paintings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/painting-exhibition), which highlight the aesthetic appeal of [commuting on a subway train](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/masterpeace-painting) or looking at a [street corner ice cream shop](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dish-pics). Occasionally, he’ll render images of the city from perspectives citizens normally aren’t exposed to – from rooftops for example – and it’s this recontextualization of his surroundings as art that ultimately forces audiences to experience their surroundings in a new and positive way. Kim Cogan is a Korea-born artist currently residing in San Francisco, California. His paintings are regularly exhibited in galleries in the west and east coast. Those with a keen eye may even identify the locations of certain Cogan paintings. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.3/10 - Popularity: 29% | Activity: 2% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Urban Aesthetics:** Opportunity for businesses to integrate the aesthetic appeal of cities into their products or services. - **Alternative Perspectives:** Opportunity to offer unique experiences or products that provide different perspectives of city environments. - **Recontextualization as Art:** Opportunity to reimagine everyday surroundings as art and create new ways for people to appreciate their cities. ### Who This Affects Most - **Art and Design:** Opportunity for artists and designers to explore and capture the beauty of urban environments. - **Tourism and Travel:** Opportunity to create tourism experiences that showcase alternative perspectives and hidden gems of cities. - **Architecture and Urban Planning:** Opportunity to incorporate urban aesthetics into architectural designs and city planning, enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of cities. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Statement Street Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/surreal-street-art-1.md) - [Television-Showcased Abstract Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lg-oled-lounge.md) - [Miniature Artful Hip-Hop Landmarks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/danny-cortes.md) - [AI-Generated Real-World Transformations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-generated-world.md) - [Public Art Displays](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/paul-anthony-smith.md) - [Kyoto-Inspired Solo Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ode-to-kyoto.md) - [Suburban-Inspired Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/suburbaninspired-art-exhibition.md) - [Otherwordly Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/william-monk.md) - [Reflective Sculpture Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mirror-works.md)