Disrupted Realism: Paintings for a Distracted World from John Seed is a collection of artists and work that represents a recent trend toward art that demonstrates a sense of "discombobulation."

Like any collection of different artists there will be some that appeal more and some that appeal less to a viewer. Such is the case here. I did find the vast majority at the very least interesting while I found quite a few that gave me pause. Strictly as a collection of work, this is a nice book.

The thread that Seed posits as tying these artists and their work together he has termed "disrupted realism." Rather than pure abstraction or surrealism these work from a realist base but then deviates from what one would expect. These deviations are where the paintings will speak to a viewer.

A nice feature of the book is that, even though Seed gives a theoretical statement to start the book, the artists speak in their own words, albeit in response to a standard set of questions. These responses give the reader some insight to what the artist is saying with the art.

The combination of the familiar (realism) with corresponding disruptions offers, I think, several avenues into the work for most viewers. There were a couple of pieces that I think I knew where the artist wanted me to go but because there were other paths I chose one that suited me better. Several of these artists excelled at just that aspect, which I find both welcoming and interesting.

I would recommend this as a nice coffee table book as well as a collection that speaks to an emerging trend. In other words, for someone who simply likes to look at art (the category I fall into) and those who study or at least have a more thorough understanding of art.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )