Gen Z and Millennials Embrace 19th-Century Plein Air Painting in the Age of AI
In Hyde Park, London, young individuals are opting for canvas over screens at mobile plein air gatherings organized by Ambient Art London, established by Patrice-Rose McLean, who aims for 'simpler, more meaningful' experiences. Despite the rise of AI-generated art, millennials and Generation Z are embracing 19th-century artistic methods. The Pratt Institute in New York has a waiting list for its painting courses, while applications at Parsons School of Design have surged by 64% since 2016. Remington Robinson, 40, on TikTok, provides painting tutorials using repurposed Altoid tins. Since 2022, figure drawing has flourished at Nucleus gallery in California under Brenda Chi's direction. Adult novices, such as Cat Young, 28, and Caitlin Cheadle, 40, are enrolling in art schools, with McLean highlighting how the creative process encourages mindfulness in bustling urban environments.
Key facts
- Ambient Art London has seen an uptick in young adults joining mobile plein air events in London's Hyde Park.
- Parsons School of Design applications increased 64 percent since 2016.
- Pratt Institute has a waitlist for its painting and drawing classes.
- Remington Robinson's plein air tutorials receive up to 13 million likes; he uses upcycled Altoid tins.
- Clare Willsdon draws a correlation between the current AI era and the 19th-century Arts and Crafts movement.
- Nucleus gallery hosts Drawing Club figure drawing sessions weekly for up to 50 artists.
- Dog Life Drawing classes in the UK included an alpaca session in July in South Yorkshire.
- Caitlin Cheadle studied in Florence, working up to 11 hours daily on the Fibonacci sequence.
Entities
Artists
- Patrice-Rose McLean
- Remington Robinson
- Clare Willsdon
- John Constable
- Kim Tay
- Gabi Sprout
- Brenda Chi
- Cat Young
- Caitlin Cheadle
- Claire Yang
- Ritz Birah
Institutions
- Ambient Art London
- Pratt Institute
- Parsons School of Design
- Gothamist
- University of Glasgow
- The Artling
- Nucleus
- Drawing Club
- Dog Life Drawing
- Gramounce
Locations
- London
- Hyde Park
- United Kingdom
- New York
- United States
- Chagrin Falls
- Ohio
- Paris
- France
- Mexico
- Singapore
- Florence
- Italy
- Miami
- Alhambra
- California
- South Yorkshire
- Seoul
- South Korea
- Vancouver
- British Columbia
- Canada