What is this art style?

[AsAYouthIUsedToLoveTheSmellOfCatalogues]

I am seeing it everywhere recently, although it mostly came to my attention during the pandemic on artist's spaces. I love abstraction, so am familiar enough, but I am charmed at the same time as bemused by it.

Just wondering if people have any familiarity with this style and do you love it?

How would one describe it?

These are examples of folk (the child) and naive art. Folk is tied to cultural traditions and naive art is more personal. Both tend to have a flat appearance.

I have a few canvas arts done by mine when kids that actually looked like nice art. Knew there was a reason I kept them. Happy to negotiate a price 😜

I don’t understand really what you’re getting op. They’re just sketchy paintings of fruit. I wouldn’t call that abstract.

Amateurish rubbish? 🤔

Process is minimal and lacks creativity or skill.

Reminds me of the bloomsbury group artwork at charleston house

The style of the first set of paintings (not the second set) you posted is what has been in countless London art degree shows in the last few years. I don’t know what the name is for it but I’ve seen quite a few artists who had a more refined style start painting like this during their MA. No idea what the thinking behind it is other than being ‘loose’. I’m not a fan, they all seem interchangeable to me whereas before each artist was pretty distinct.

Pissed

It looks like GCSE work, probably grade 4 or 5 for effort.

Surely, and I genuinely mean this - not trying to make a bad joke - surely this is done by a child?

an example of so called “naive” art would be Alfred Wallis. It’s a pretty stupid label though.

most of the comments on this artist's instagram say they love the simplicity.
It's a very big trend on SM as far as I know, and is often out of Japan, with a good amount of western followers. Many are homemakers and kids just grown so do think the self expression thing is the key. Always female.
It's def not an academic choice, very much about the slow trend, too.

Her earlier work was very cute and childlike, with storybook themes.
Looks like the 'blobby' style evolved due to follower flattery/encouragement.

With SM/Insta, the artists ends up giving the audience what it wants, rather than what the self wishes to express.

That’s not the naive style of art, naive is quite different. I’d say these are abstract watercolours.

The style is "bloody awful". One of the problems with social media is that it enables people with zero talent to expose their efforts, which normally would have been kept to their own home and consigned to the bin.

Having watched art evolve on social media quite closely since the pandemic, there has definitely been a huge increase in people doing it!
And I think a lot of that comes down to instant gratification, the attention economy, side hustles and so on. I suppose you can't blame people, but it can muddy the waters, since those who don't 'put on a good performance' won't get the same visibility, even if their work is superior.

I have heard something similar has happened with social media poetry but thankfully haven't experienced that yet.

I don't mind the work in my OP at all, but I do think that at least 70% of social media based artists wouldn't bother creating at all if there wasn't an audience to flatter it.

That’s so mean! Art is for everyone.

That looks like key stage one paintings…

The problem with these apples is the artist hasn't actually looked at the apples. There's no attempt to show the dimples that the stalks come out of, or the way the apples are stacked on top of each other.

The artist is trying to mimic Henri Matisse's childlike art but hasn't actually looked with their eyes.

Here are Matisse's apples.

Notice how "simple" Matisse's apples look but they still look plump and crunchy and... like actual apples.

The trick is to actually look at the thing and notice what it looks like, rather than just think "ah yeah, I know what an apple looks like, kind of red and round with a stalk, and there are a few all together on a plate, there we go". You have to actually look with your eyes what the apple looks like

On a positive note, I am going to share an artist that I really love.
Her work became very popular (it hit a trend) a few years ago, although she has a firm design background and has been working for many years.
I love the minimal style, but the forms and execution are very sophisticated (to me).

Might not be to everyone's taste but I would love a large print.

Yes, and it makes me wonder if a lot of social media art trends are based upon what is popular, rather than any inclination to 'see'?
People desire positive feedback, and repeating similar motifs and ideas will tend to confirm that. It doesn't allow for much diversity, but that's the nature of the beast.

Not mean, just factual. Viewing art is for everyone. But creating art is not. Only certain people have talent. Others delude themselves that they do and social media has enabled those fools to believe their daubs have merit.

Disagree.
Anyone can make art and find their own creative voice but educating themselves is important, practice, visual recording, developing , skill level, and effective use of materials and processes is important.

Like making music or poetry, or dancing, anyone can do it if they learn.

Being good at it takes time and effort. Some people find that easier than others

Abstract toddler

The thing is the people producing the stuff in the OP haven't learned. It's clear they haven't educated themselves or developed skills or spent time and effort in improving their work.

Whilst it may be true that anyone can make "art" ie put brush to paper, it absolutely isn't true that anyone can be good at it, however much effort they make.

In the same way not everyone can become good at writing poetry or novels or be a great dancer, however much they learn, that requires fundamental talent. That's why Amazon is full of self-published authors who write crap that no publishing house would dream of looking at. It's why elite sportspeople compete at the Olympics, because they are better than other people.

Not everyone has equal ability and people need to accept that. No one without innate talent can just learn to be a Picasso or Michelangelo.

The artist in my OP actually is a very good illustrator, and would/could have done well illustrating for children's books. She switched entirely to the new style over the pandemic as it garnered more likes. Like I said, nature of the social media beast really.
This is an example of her earlier work: