Most Popular Paintings 2014



The art world always has something to celebrate, something to wow audiences, something to comment upon as it holds a mirror up to our society. Last year was certainly no exception, so we thought that we'd look at some of the most popular paintings of 2014.

 

Transience by Alla Bartoshchuk



Photo courtesy of Sound and Vision

Bartoshchuk's Transience was originally painted for October 2014's Sound and Vision exhibition, which was designed to commemorate some of the best rock and roll musicians of all time. This painting, specifically, was inspired by The Lumineers, a band that, according to Bartoshchuk: 'awaken[s] a sense of the familiarity that is hard to place. It is a polarizing feel: a combination of thrill and anticipation coupled with a sense of warmth and comfort.' The work, which is oil on canvas, measures 24"x30".

 

Superman by Keith Mayerson

Photo courtesy of Joshua Below

Keith Mayerson often blends popular culture with his own inimitable style, and this painting is no exception. Based on the iconic superhero, it acts as Mayerson's love letter to the first comic strip he read as a kid. Mayerson has claimed that: 'I grew up loving Superman, and like many iconic avatars that children suture into, he helped form a non-religious model of what it takes to be a good person. I feel that post-Warhol... it's my job to bring emotion to the image.'

 

Dorothy by David Kassan

Photo courtesy of David Kassan

An immensely powerful oil on canvas, Dorothy is based on a real-life 'neighbourhood wanderer', according to artist Kassan, who claims to have kept his eye on Dorothy for several years because, 'she has been such a mystery.' There's an intensely realistic detail to Dorothy, with her weathered face and ruddy cheeks, rumpled denim shirt and smoke in hand, all framed beautifully on a 22"x19" canvas.

 

After Brown by Kyle Hackett

Photo courtesy of LED Baltimore

A stylish addition to the 2014 line-up, After Brown has been described by the artist, Kyle Hackett, as a 'self-referential portrait'. It's an intriguing portrait which the artist hopes will confront the moral challenges surrounding race issues in the modern age. The raised hand is a nod to hope, as well as the fingerprints adding what Hackett considers: 'a touch of criminal identity.' The work, measuring 20"x16", is, unusually, oil on aluminium.

 

Studio Living by Sarah McEneaney

Photo courtesy of The Art Blog

There's something wonderfully child-like about Sarah McEneaney's use of colour. Studio Living, a glorious acrylic on linen piece, is one of the best examples of her style. It's a homage to scenes from the artist's dreams, as well as places she visits and lives. McEneaney has suggested: 'My aim is to be honest and straightforward in the subject matter I choose and in how I paint it; to make the personal universal.'

 

Which are your favourite paintings from the ones listed? Have you found any other gems from 2014 that truly stick out in your mind? What styles and artists have changed your concept of how art should be? Let us know!