October is a big month for visual artists on the internet. Usually there are many art challenges floating around that give artists daily prompts as inspiration to create and share with others if they so choose. I had been struggling with my relationship with art for the last few years. A part of the issue was me being unable to remove any expectations from the work that I made and shared. “Making art for art’s sake” doesn’t reimburse me for my time, money and energy that I put into a project. However, I realize that that can be an unproductive and harmful mindset which stunts the growth of an artist. So this year, another artist friend and I decided to do our own themes instead of following any “official” prompts. I thought that it would be fun to paint some notable internet memes featuring Black people. There were some things going on that prevented me from staying consistent with the project throughout October, but I do intend for this to be an on-going series for as long as it’s enjoyable for me and other people.
I chose this subject because I thought that it would give me a chance to return to working on portraits in a way that felt engaging and amusing. When thinking about it further, I realized that memes mean more than just a hilarious way to share a relatable feeling, they have casually become a new form of communication over the years which I think is pretty significant. What also seemed significant to me was that so many of these recognizable and overshared images were of Black people. I think that it’s a piece of proof of the huge impact that Black people (women, men, LGBTQ+ and beyond) have on our culture. To be used so universally and representing a myriad of emotions and relatable situations that many people experience, or can at least laugh about, feels like a small way in which Black folk have transcended some of the barriers we face. So what started off as a fun, casual painting project for me became a kind of statement about how Black culture intersects and influences American culture as a whole.
So far, the best part about doing this series has been seeing how the public has responded to it. I went viral for the very first time!
I can’t believe this was the one
See some of the reactions and hilarious retweets here.
“Going viral” is a boost to the ego for sure, but it’s also a flash in the pan kind of thing so I in no way expected anything from this. However, I am thankful for the attention and encouragement that it gave me. It made me think that maybe people really are paying more attention to Blackness right now and are looking to support those who uplift it. For me the best part was seeing how people were having fun with the images all over again. This definitely isn’t a new idea, artists painting memes, but it’s great to see others respond to my own interpretation in different ways. Personally I struggled with being able to affect people with my work on a larger scale than I seemed to be working with at the time, and the viral experience gave me tangible proof that I could.
As I continue adding to this series, I will post them up on my Instagram page and twitter. Please follow along and add your two cents to our shenanigans. Eventually I may add a gallery here on my site once I have enough on hand. For affordable, quality prints from this series, head to my Redbubble store. I’m told that they make really great gifts!
I’d love to hear your thoughts about the concept of “fine art memes” in general, because as I mentioned above it’s not a new idea, but I’ve noticed that it’s a popular one with the public. Even though we’ve seen a lot of these images so often and they’re only a “right click save as” away, I still enjoy seeing other artists’ interpretations. Why do you think memes with Black people tend to resonate with the masses and be reused so often? What are your favorite memes of all time?