The Not-So-Lonely Artist: Viral Trend Re-Emerges

Social Media Users Re-Create Famous Paintings Whilst in Isolation

The first lockdown brought with it an eclectic mix of trends and fads, from sourdough baking and a nationwide running bug to tipsy zoom calls and untamed beards. As people turned their attention away from the quietened outdoors and towards the world of digital, the isolation period also gave rise to copious social media trends. One that went viral had social media users re-creating their favourite paintings, using random utensils and trinkets from around their houses as creative props. This particular trend has withstood the test of time; it has, unlike many others, come back to life in lockdown 2.0.

In the last few weeks, users have returned to posting photos on Facebook that imitate masterful paintings by Johannes Vermeer, Grant Wood, and other famous artists.

 

(Images via dailymail)

The trend came to life earlier this year, primarily after LA-based Getty Museum and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam sparked the idea. The humorous, time-passing challenge has since become popularised all over the world, so that social media users in Iceland, Italy and various other locations have given it a whirl. As people get imaginative and share their creations online, they too become artists – just ones that feel a little less lonely, and a little more connected.

Finally, for our previous #SocialShort, click here.