# Ironic Activist Art Mike Calway-Fagen Creates Delightfully Disparate Pieces By Taylor Keefe | Published 2011-12-26 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mike-calway-fagen References: [juxtapoz](http://www.juxtapoz.com/Current/works-by-mike-calway-fagen) & [mikecalway-fagen](http://mikecalway-fagen.com/) Revitalizing a modern day sense of activism is exactly what artist Mike Calway-Fagen is trying to accomplish with his artwork. The young artist, completing a [MFA](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dramatic-arts-building) at UC San Diego, has a steadfast affinity for defiance, a trait passed down to him by his iconoclastic father. The work of Mike Calway-Fagen is entrenched with ideals of hope and fate. According to his website, “the projects offer alternatives to disaster, critique our creation of disaster, and soft-heartedly accept our fate.” These are profound themes for such a young artist. Reciting the urgency ushered in during the 1960s, Calway-Fagen says, “my work acts to resuscitate this sense of activism.” Calway-Fagen’s art is ripe with irony, evident in the images of a dog seated atop a taxidermic canine cousin. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.2/10 - Popularity: 58% | 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) > [Modern](https://www.trendhunter.com/modern) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Activist Art:** Creating art that raises awareness and encourages activism can be a disruptive innovation opportunity. - **Irony in Art:** Incorporating irony into art can create new avenues for expression and offer unique perspectives to viewers. - **Art as Political Critique:** Using art as a way to critique societal norms, political issues, and cultural events is a disruptive innovation opportunity in the art industry. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Fine Art:** Exploring new mediums, styles, and techniques to create socially impactful art can shake up the traditional fine art industry. - **Activism:** Integrating art into activist movements can help spread messages and inspire action in new and creative ways. - **Taxidermy Art:** Using taxidermy in unexpected and thought-provoking ways, as seen in Calway-Fagen's work, could disrupt the traditional taxidermy art industry. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Striking Urban Wildlife Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/clare-allin.md) - [Indigenous Form Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gabriel-chaile.md) - [Perception-Challenging Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/becoming-familiar.md) - [Apocalypse Post Pandemic Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/contemporary-urban-art.md) - [Playful Button-Focused Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beau-mccall.md) - [Intricate Fiber Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/threadwork-women-redefining-fiber-arts.md) - [Wooden Identity Art Forms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hughmanity.md) - [Futile Material Design Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/please-sit-for-an-alternate-ending.md) - [Whimsical Sculptural Furniture Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/city-block-series.md)