# Surrealistic Pop King Illustrations Mat Maitland's Illustrations Resurrect the King of Pop By Vasiliki Marapas | Published 2014-05-30 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mat-maitland-illustrations References: [itsnicethat](http://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/mat-maitland) & [matmaitland](http://matmaitland.com/i) Mat Maitland's illustrations have been commissioned for some of the biggest music acts in the world. As an artist for London-based creative consultancy Big Active, Mat Maitland has worked for many large-scale campaigns. His impressive portfolio includes work for artists such as Basement Jaxx, Goldfrapp, Simian and Beck and Michael Jackson. His unique aesthetic is supremely intersectional, encompassing [art, photography, music and fashion](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/joy-artist-capsule) in a single illustration. Maitland's projects currently include cover art for a posthumous Michael Jackson release and a recent Prince single. Maitland consistently delivers greatness with his [bizarre, one-of-a-kind compositions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jeffrey-deitch-art-gallery); in fact, I can't think of anyone better to bring the King of Pop back to life. He perfectly captures the surreptitious twinkle in Jackson's eye, almost making it seem as though the beloved musician never left us. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.9/10 - Popularity: 48% | Activity: 2% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Modern](https://www.trendhunter.com/modern) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Cross-discipline Art:** Opportunities to create unique aesthetic by combining different genres such as art, photography, music and fashion in an single illustration. - **Celebrity Artwork:** Increased commission opportunities for artists to create artwork for celebrities and their brands. - **Posthumous Album Art:** Opportunities to create artwork for posthumous album releases is a growing niche for artists. ### Who This Affects Most - **Music Industry:** Record labels and music artists can collaborate with artists to create unique album artwork. - **Visual Arts Industry:** There is an opportunity for galleries and art institutions to showcase cross-discipline artwork and exhibit a new level of creativity. - **Brand Industry:** Brands can collaborate with artists to create unique campaigns and products with cross-discipline artwork that resonate with the target audience. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Pop Culture Candy Packaging](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/album-art-packaging.md) - [Vibrant Artist Pop-Up Books](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/keith-haring-popup-book.md) - [Graphic Fashion Animation Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/superflat-animation.md) - [Whimsical Soccer-Themed Illustrations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/soccerthemed-illustrations.md) - [Curated Pop Art Auctions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/joopiter.md) - [Maximalist Pop Art Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/keiichi-tanaami.md) - [Collaborative Designer Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/just-like-heaven-art-exhibition.md) - [Pop Art Beer Branding](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/budweiser-and-sir-peter-blake.md) - [Deconstructed Pop Art NFTs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/matt-gondek.md)