Art World
This Tumblr Features Mashups of Hip Hop and High Art
Cait Munro
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The Ascension (1775) by John Singleton Copley meets”Touch The Sky” by Kanye West featuring Lupe Fiasco.
Photo: Tumblr/ Fly Art.
Fly Art, a Tumblr account created by students Gisella Velasco and Toni Potenciano, would have been right at home on our list of the best art historical Tumblrs. The witty mashups of rap lyrics and Renaissance paintings have recently garnered attention from Complex and the Huffington Post, though the duo has been creating them since December 2013.
Elegant couples in interiors, by Pio Ricci, meets “Independent Women” by Destiny’s Child.
Photo: Tumblr/ Fly Art.
Just what is it about rap culture and high art that meshes so perfectly? According to Complex, the pair were inspired by other Tumblr blogs like Swoosh Art and Carter Family Portraits (both of which are featured on our list), which similarly pair the luxury culture of today, embodied by the lyrics and lifestyles of rap stars, with that of yesteryear. According to the no-frills description of the blog, it is “an homage to the two finer things in life”.
The pairings turn serious, often somber works of art we may recall from a long-ago art history class (with a few Modern hits thrown in for good measure) into relatable memes begging to be shared with friends. The classics never felt so fresh.
Three women (1921), by Fernand Leger, meets “Backseat Freestyle” by Kendrick Lamar.
Photo: Tumblr/Fly Art.
Adam and Eve in paradise (c. 1527), by Mabuse, meets “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe,” by Kendrick Lamar.
Photo: Tumblr/Fly Art.
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