The article examines the narrative that figurative painting died and made a comeback, arguing instead that it never truly disappeared. It traces the art market's pendulum swing from zombie formalism around 2014 to a surge in figurative painting by 2015, fueled by collectors seeking new, affordable works to flip quickly. The piece highlights emerging painters like Gina Beavers, Mira Dancy, Jamian Juliano-Villani, and Greg Parma Smith, and notes that the boom created auction stars whose prices later crashed, as reported in a 2024 New York Times article.
This analysis matters because it challenges oversimplified art-historical narratives and reveals how market forces—rather than aesthetic evolution—drive trends like the figurative painting boom. The article underscores the volatility of the contemporary art market, where speculative buying can inflate prices for young artists before a sudden bust, leaving many figurative painters vulnerable. It also questions the lasting value of market-driven hype versus genuine artistic substance.