Future Tense: 10 Artists Whose Work Predicts an Imperfect Future

Is this where humanity is headed?

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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We live in perilous times. That much is certain. Famine, disease, environmental collapse, pollution, war: these are just some of the calamities that ravage our planet. Yet there are certain creative people out there willing to imagine just how much worse things could be. These are visionaries of the pessimistic type, hopefully inspiring the foresight to escape the dystopian images that cloud their minds.

In a recent podcast with Bret Easton EllisKanye West talked about his upcoming film based on The Jetsons, which will employ a new conception of futurism, one that relies on present design—that of Le CorbusierPierre Paulin, and Eames—instead of visions of flying cars. The artists on this list may be more old school than Kanye, resorting to sci-fi tropes, but they still present visions of what will become of the earth. Take a look at their versions of the world in Future Tense: 10 Artists Whose Work Predicts an Imperfect Future.

RELATED: Kanye West Talks Flying Cars, The Jetsons, and High Design in Part 2 of Bret Easton Ellis' Podcast
RELATED: 25 People Shaping the Future of Design

Tim Doyle

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Darick Robertson

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H.R. Giger

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Simon Stalenhag

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Alex Andreev

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Darren Wardle

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Michal Karcz

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Jean Yves Lemoigne

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Alexis Rockman

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Paul McCarthy

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