The Armory Show 2020: The Most Instagram-Friendly Artworks
Art fans have had a lot to be excited about the past few days, as Armory Week took over New York with a range of exciting modern and contemporary works. In addition to The Armory Show 2020, the city's premier art fair and the namesake for the week, other events like Spring/Break, Scope, and Independent Art Fair have brought a host of creativity to various locations around Manhattan and beyond.
As with any major event these days, some of the biggest highlights of Armory Week have been the pieces so high in aesthetic or cultural value that they wound up everywhere on Instagram. The social media platform has been just one method of democratizing art and means you've probably seen some part of the shows this weekend whether you attended or not. With the art-filled events coming to a close, we've listed some of the most Instagrammable artworks from The Armory Show 2020 below, so you can see the pop culture statements and captivating pieces that are as captivating in a digital space as they are in real life.
Nothing catches the eye of an internet-savvy audience like a famous face from Netflix. Marie Kondo, whose radical decluttering method has gained serious traction thanks to her 2016 book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and last year's hit streaming show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, takes her catchphrase to a new level in this one-of-a-kind piece. Depicting the modern icon pointing a gun at the viewer as part of a Facebook post captioned "i said DOES IT SPARK JOY?", Christine Wang's The Armory Show 2020 contribution *sparked* an instant and widespread reaction.
While the question of whether the world will take enough action in time is still up in the air, climate change is undeniably one of the most hotly debated topics of our time. So what better way to get viewers' attention than a neon sign brandishing a simple statement that science can prove? We're hoping that the impact of this one will go far beyond the Instagram potential.
Robert Lazzarini explores the stories of common objects by distorting them, typically going for subject matter that resonates with the American experience. In a time which has been marked by political protests and occurrences of police brutality (sometimes, the two connected), a police line bent beyond repair is evocative to many, making this a popular work to share and discuss.
An interactive work, there was no doubt that Jeppe Hein's latest was going to be an Instagram hit. Constructed using a two-way mirror, neon tubes, and technology, this piece showcased at The Armory Show 2020 will illuminate one of nine different faces, so you can pick your favorite to snap your photo.
Mickalene Thomas has gained a dedicated following for her works exploring the characterization of Black female identity, becoming a sought-after collaborator by the likes of Dior and Visionaire. This work depicts a nude subject in a collaged format, simultaneously showing her in a raw state and evoking the juxtaposition of influences that shape her experience.
It seems nothing makes an Instagrammable artwork at The Armory Show 2020 like a neon sign. Viewers likely have different interpretations of what Susan MacWilliam is saying with this piece, but no matter what, everyone has been snapping a photo. While, of course, proper art is out of budget for most, some may get inspired and begin the search for a unique neon sign as decor.
Interested in how culture and history speak through art, Whitfield Lovell's work primarily focuses on anonymous African-American faces from the early 20th century, which he recently has paired with found objects. Beyond marveling over the skill in his drawings, viewers are likely to contemplate how the face, the object, and the title relate, something they've been able to do extensively with The Spell Suite's eleven works all on display at Armory. Especially for those who may feel a cultural connection to them, Lovell's juxtapositions are too fascinating not to share.
Cynthia Daignault's new work features 24 faces of famous women, from a range of disciplines and eras, all together in a black-and-white oil medium. It's hard not to recognize many faces, and make connections between them: Anita Hill and Christine Blasey Ford, Princess Diana and Meghan Markle, Hillary Clinton and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. All of the women pictured have faced intense scrutiny, but they also have achieved major accomplishments, making Delia's Gone a work that resonated with many of The Armory Show 2020 attendees for International Women's Day.
Sharon Core's modern recreations of classic still life works have earned her significant acclaim, as she seems to add a witty element to the common objects that feature in each piece. Nothing connects with an Instagram-era crowd like a piece that connects to modern consumer culture, and Lipstick Row brings a range of recognizable lipsticks together to create an elevated version of the beauty still lifes we all have tried to take ourselves.
