Modern Allegorism is a school of fine art in which the artist uses contemporary elements in an allegorical style to communicate a positive and uplifting message to the viewer.
The term was first used in print in a book published in 2007 titled Tarnowski: Modern Allegories about the work of artist Glen Tarnowski. Tarnowski coined the term to describe artwork that communicated to a modern world in the same way that Renaissance artists communicated values, ethics and morality to the largely illiterate population of the time.
The three subgenres of Modern Allegorism include whimsical, inspirational/spiritual, and paradoxical. These subgenres describe the mechanism through which the artist conveys the message. Whimsical modern allegories use humor in a non-critical fashion to encourage the viewer to question their own perspectives and behavior. Inspirational/spiritual modern allegories attempt to inspire the viewer to believe in their own abilities and trust their innate gifts. Paradoxical modern allegories position common elements in ways that are contrary to the viewer's expectation in order to encourage the viewer to evaluate the commonplace and see their own preconceptions in a new light.