USA Today at the Royal Academy of Arts

If you are familiar with the London art world then you know super-collector and market maker Charles Saatchi. In 1998, his enthusiasm for the Young British Artists culminated in the much talked about and somewhat controversial show "Sensation". Currently, Mr. Saatchi is taking a similar interest in 40 young emerging artists and is showing their works at the Royal Academy of Arts. The exhibit, "USA Today", sets out to represent the current state of art making in the United States. The 80 works on display address social and political themes that are relevant not only in America, but also globally.

Even though the exhibition is spread out over two floors, I found the most interesting and noteworthy pieces to be located on the ground floor. On the left as you walk in, there are two large maps of America by French born artist Jules de Balincourt. Initially I was drawn to the works because of the bold color palette and the familiar shape of the American map. When I began to study the compositions more closely, it became clear that the artist was attempting to convey a larger message to the viewer. In "US World Studies II" & "US World Studies III", the artist uses naïve like depictions and bright colors to comment on social and political inequalities in America, as well as corporate greed. It is a thought provoking and engaging take on the domestic status of the superpower and how the rest of the world views the United States.

On the right of the staircase are two large landscape photographs by Florian Maier-Aichen. The artist uses strange angles, aerial views, and post-production enhancements to take images that seem familiar and comforting and manipulate them to appear foreign and anxiety laden. In "Untitled 2005", the serenity of a pristine beach and a long highway is shattered by the artificially red colored hillside on the right side of the photograph. What should be a serene image is transformed into a post-apocalyptic anxiety attack. Let’s just hope this is not Maier-Aichen’s view of the future of America. Regardless of the artist’s point of view, I found myself thinking about these works long after I left the exhibit – always a good sign in my book. Check out USA Today at the Royal Academy of Art until November 4th. www.royalacademy.org.uk