Humor in art

Cezanne's painting invaded by Cats

Art is often considered a serious subject. It can be intimidating, especially for those who haven't had a lot of exposure to it. However, many artists both past and present have created works that reflect having a good dose of humor. People are more familiar with cartoons and satire when it comes to humor in art, but there are also works in fine art that reflect true humor. In general, humor can be seen as something to be celebrated. Mark Twain once said, "Humor is mankind's greatest blessing." The joke need not be blatant or outrageous. Subtle humor that brings a smile can be very satisfying. In reality, artists often attempt to find humor in painful situations in order to better endure hard times, and then reflect that humor in their work. Of course, there are other artists who happily reflect joyous times and experiences in their work as well.

SmithKlein Gallery has quite a few artists who like to toss humor or whimsy into their works. Below are just a few examples in various mediums.

Fly Boys by Diane Naylor (oil)

dancing tortoise by Pokey Park (bronze)

Wild Wild West by Dwight Davidson (bronze)

Sheepdog in Door by D.D. LaRue (mixed media)

Tennis Turtle by Randy Chitto (clay)

All Together Now by Guiseppe Palumbo (bronze)

 

And just for an extra laugh, here are a few art jokes by Jim Lane:

If you've ever cleaned your fingernails with a palette knife--you MIGHT be an artist.

If you choose a wine with an eye toward using the bottle in your next still-life--you MIGHT be an artist.

If you've ever rinsed your watercolour brush in your coffee--you MIGHT be an artist.

If you've ever drunk the rinse water instead of the coffee--you MIGHT be an artist.

If you've ever painted an abstract and decided it looked better upside down--you MIGHT be an artist.

If your cat has chrome oxide green paws--you MIGHT be an artist.

If you've ever gotten cookie crumbs in the Titanium white--you MIGHT be an artist.

If you can spell phthalocyanine, you MIGHT be an artist.

If you've ever scrubbed a hole in a watercolour--you MIGHT be an artist.