# Face-Melting Artwork These Paintings by Nathan James Feature People with Melting Faces By Lacey-Jane Walsh | Published 2013-09-02 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/melting-faces References: [sweet-station](http://sweet-station.com/blog/2013/08/nathan-james/) & [ndjames](http://ndjames.com/) These fantastic paintings by artist Nathan James feature people who appear to have [melting faces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/optical-flow). In each of these paintings the viewer is exposed to a pair of people, be it a man and a woman, or a man and a man. In every artwork, one of these individuals (or occasionally both) are depicted with faces that appear to be melting or melding together. The artist seems to create a pretty average painting, and then inject [peculiar elements](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jeffrey-deitch-art-gallery) into it, making it extremely eye catching and hard to look away from. James is an artist who tends to throw bizarre elements into all of this works in order to make them more visually stimulating. He's also done a series that combines [paintings with collage style art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/painting-exhibition). ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.3/10 - Popularity: 56% | Activity: 35% | 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) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Visual Transformation Art:** Exploring the concept of melting faces in artwork could lead to innovative techniques and styles in the field of visual art. - **Mixed Media Fusion:** Combining traditional painting with collage-style art opens up new possibilities for artists to create unique and captivating artworks. - **Surreal Portraiture:** Creating paintings that depict people with melting faces can inspire a trend of surreal portraiture, blurring the lines between reality and imagination. ### Where This Applies - **Fine Arts:** Artists and galleries in the fine arts industry can embrace the trend of face-melting artwork and showcase innovative pieces that challenge traditional perceptions. - **Advertising and Marketing:** The use of visual transformation art featuring melting faces can create visually striking advertisements that capture audience attention and communicate messages in a unique way. - **Art Education:** Incorporating the exploration of melting faces and surreal portraiture in art education can inspire students to think outside the box and push creative boundaries. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Surreal Love-Themed Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/joakim-ojanen.md) - [Human Duality-Themed Abstract Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/passive-aggression.md) - [Artful Anime-Blending Split Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/split-bust.md) - [Apocalypse Post Pandemic Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/contemporary-urban-art.md) - [Statement Street Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/surreal-street-art-1.md) - [Otherwordly Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/william-monk.md) - [Glamorous Artful Bronze Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sweet-jane.md) - [Vibrantly Colorful Dynamic Artwork](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kayla-rumpp.md) - [Abstract Geometric Solo Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/impermanent-state-of-being.md)