If you’re going to waste time on social media, you might as well make your feed pretty.
While Instagram can be a painfully tempting time-waster for many of us, it has also helped to flip the art world on its head. Struggling artists once had to rely on physical exhibitions of their work and navigate a notoriously stuffy art world in order to be recognised and gain a reputation. But in the digital age, anyone with a decent camera phone can share their art to anyone, anywhere. Check out a few of these accounts for eye-candy and inspiration.
Phuckos (@phuckos)
Also known as Andy Nethercote, this Blue Mountains lad started sharing his sketches on Tumblr as a teenager. Phuckos now boasts 18.5 thousand Instagram followers. From his account beginnings in 2014, the artist shared incredible sketches that could be easily mistaken for photographs. Since then, he has developed his edgy style into work that plays with patterns, pop art and block colours. Phuckos’ Instagram features commissioned works and he is particularly popular as a tattoo designer, having opened a store in Leichhardt, Sydney.
Amanda Lovelace (@ladybookmad)
Literary critics aren’t huge on the Insta-poet movement – is a broken up sentence that disdains capital letters really all that constitutes a poem? But the people like what they like, and the huge success of Instagram poets such as Rupi Kaur and R.M.Drake have demonstrated the emotional power these simple one-liner poems can have. Amanda Lovelace is another poet who has connected to her audience with brief snapshots of her poetry exploring themes of feminism, vulnerability and relationships.
James Edwards (@jamesjackfruit)
Another Sydney based artist, Edwards’ work explores themes of self-expression, sexuality and relationships. His images consist of simple line drawings, demonstrating how simplicity can express emotion and sensitivity; however, he has established his skill across multiple mediums. His posts are beautiful portraits (self or others) and are often accompanied by thought-provoking captions.
Kali Uchis (@kaliuchis)
If you want dreamy soul singer meets old world glam, look no further than Uchis’ profile. With winged eyeliner so sharp Amy Winehouse would be proud, the singer-songwriter goes beyond music to curate images that are a perfect medley of soft colours and striking poses.
Sarah BahBah (@sarahbahbah)
Sarah BahBah has found international acclaim through her stunningly stylised photography series, captioned to represent subtitled film stills. BahBah now exhibits across the world, using her Instagram following to communicate with fans and share her work in a free format.
Do you follow any Instagram artists we should know about? Let us know in the comments below.
