Art & Humor

by Sydney Hammer

2024 KFS Intern 

In many pieces of art, there is a deeper meaning. The story an artwork strives to tell (or the one behind the making of a piece) can represent a variety of things, which may bring up emotions in a person or cause them to feel understood. Other times, art is made to make you feel good, something that might even cause a person to lol for real. Comedic art is just as important as the “more serious” artwork, and it’s important to find the humor in not taking everything so seriously. 

Art professor and art historian Stephanie Newton is passionate about humorous art and discovering the lighter side to beauty. 

“Art is a reflection of humanity and humor is one way we deal with being human. Of course there will be seriousness in art but it doesn’t have to be deep and serious to be good. There is meaning in humor as well,” she says.

The art historian explains that creating playful, whimsy, or childlike artwork can help you discover your inner youth and remember that side of yourself. When people see a rare piece of art that appears different or silly, people start talking about it. Comedic art has an attention-grabbing and storytelling feature that draws people in. 

“There’s no better or worse when it comes to the tone of a work, it all expresses an underlying human thing, it's all subjective. It all shows us about life,” Newton says. 

Newton has studied and explored many humorous, ironic, and whimsical art pieces that simply make her happy. From pop art to performance art, she has found a variety of work that lightened people up during difficult, real-life moments. One example is around war.

“Right after World War I, the art movement known as Dada created a new art,” she said. “It was completely absurd and made to be goofy… people saw the inventions humans had come up with as worthless, as they were used to destroy humanity.” 

In the midst of the horrors of World War I, there was a need to find humor in the world and make fun of the nightmares people were facing. Dada art was created to challenge social norms while confusing or shocking people. 

“They asked, ‘why can’t we just have art that's absurd and doesn’t make any sense?’.... I find the irony in that as soon as you say it doesn’t have any hidden meaning, it does,” she explains. 

Comedic art is a form of emotional and stress relief, while also playing different roles in society. This area of art provides people a break from serious or stressful topics like politics, war, violence, inequality, or environmental issues. Humor connects people on a lighter level, offering voice for commentary. This type of art can also ignite new heights of creativity for some, and can allow personal expression of opinion. 

On the first day of Newton’s art appreciation courses, she walks her student’s through Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. She wants her students to understand that the Mona Lisa is not as great as the world paints her to be, and makes fun of how the painting is actually quite underwhelming. 

Possibly inspired by Marcel Duchamp's first commentary of the same vein, Newton has formed a collection of Mona Lisa appropriations and different takes on the painting over the years. 

From the Mona Lisa displayed in the form of folding chairs to the Mona Lisa made of peanut butter & jelly, Newton has collected copious amounts of reworked artwork supporting her take on how art can be made into humor. 

“I think the big reason I was attracted to art history was the humor. Not just within the artwork themselves, but the rivalries between artists and their snotty quips… it tickled my comedy bone,” Newton said. 

Comedic art adds an exciting aspect to our creative world, offering laughter and insight into being human. Through wit, satire, irony, and playful reinterpretation, it challenges us to see the world with a new perspective. Embracing humor in art rather than constantly seeking a “deeper meaning” provokes new ideas while bringing us a new sense of joy and understanding of both art and life. 

Kestrel Fields Studio recommends a quick image search of "Mona Lisa lol" so you can see for yourself how the famous lady has been appropriated!