Death of Authenticity: Photography that explores the modern world's desire for everything

What was once a world seeking authenticity, has now become one craving visuals that go beyond the norm, expanding the way we interpret the world. This thought-provoking exhibition in London highlights these contradictions with a series of over 70 original and challenging images.

The show statement reads: "The last 10 years have been dominated by a particular visual representation of ‘authenticity’ – the trend for realistic lifestyle and its most recent manifestation in ‘smartphone realism’. However, there is an increasing appetite for something in addition – the aspirational, the surreal and the imaginative."

Always keeping an eye on cultural shifts and activity on its own website, the research team behind Getty Images is seeing the desire for escapism, perfectionism and glamour trending in search and download activity. In the past year alone, there has been a 248 per cent increase in searches for ‘surreal landscape’ and a 360 per cent increase in image searches for "virtual reality".

The exhibition highlights these often contrasting trends; the Messthetics trend is a rebellion against the order of everyday life, whilst Silence vs. Noise focuses on making space for consumers to breathe among the clutter of modern living.

Andrew Saunders, Senior Vice President, Creative Content at Getty Images, says: “This year our visual trend predictions focus on the contrasts faced by the modern consumer; the yearning for extremes, a desire to be on the outside of the mainstream, but also seeking community and engagement for wider social good. The exhibition highlights the exciting and original ways our photographers have tackled the visualisation of these trends.”

The Creative in Focus exhibition starts today and runs until 26 March 2016 at the Getty Images Gallery. In the meantime, check out this luscious selection of some of the work on display.

Main image: Alan Powdrill / Getty Images | Special thanks to Getty