You might be getting a bit tired of hearing about art fair season. I’m sure getting tired of writing about it. But guess what: art fair season doesn’t give a fuck if we’re tired. Just like that hummus that’s been sitting in the gallery mini fridge for the last 9 months, it’s still here. And it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
If your overpriced liberal arts education taught you anything, it’s that nothing gets the angst flowing like art fair season. The price of getting to work in the world’s best industry is smizing through your yearly-allotted share of sleepless nights, redeye flights and panic attacks.
Luckily, there’s a remedy for all your angst: memes. There’s nothing like an infinity scroll through the IG discover humor section to soothe the soul.
In our troubled times, whether in the art world or outside of it, memes are what keeps the world turning. Memes are what let us smile in the face of soulless corporatism. To giggle as we’re about to be fired for failing to recognize (and pander to) a VIP at miart. To chuckle as we wonder what kind of planet we’re leaving behind for our children. If we can rustle up the cash to freeze our eggs, that is.
Scrolling through memes at your desk is the functional adult’s version of curling up on the couch with Häagen-Dazs, a snuggie and the first season of Friends. Memes are like Vaseline for the soul.
That’s all to say that there’s nothing like infinity scroll through the IG discover humor page to soothe the soul. But if you’re looking for a slightly more tailored experience, we got you. Below, check out our go-to IG accounts for calming down and cheering up. Because whatever your current catastrophe may be, there’s a meme out there that’s up to the challenge. Or, at least, one that will make you laugh until you forget the problem.
The reigning queen of art world humor, @jerrygogosian burst onto the scene pretty recently. Your go-to for a reminder not to take your job quite so seriously. Great for a killer skewering of any and all art-world characters.
Not your typical classical art memes account. Imagine @classicalartshit but boozier, more off-kilter and possibly with a Master’s degree.
The bio tells you everything you need to know: “id/ego/alter-ego freud’s couch curation/feels kupi kaur and bukowski’s love child alan solak of memes.” Clara has perfected the art of mixing niche and pop culture to create hilarious content. She’s also an artist, so expect lots of great art world content. And, best of all, credits her movie stills.
American culture has a longstanding fascination with the swampy penis of America: Florida. In art and pop culture, Florida has become shorthand for all things gloriously and unabashedly ratchet. Jenna Maroney from 30 Rock was conceived in a Florida bathroom. Harmony Korine calls Florida home, which says everything.
Now that the “Florida man” Google search has gone viral, the whole world gets a little taste of the bizarre glory of Florida. But this meme account has been dragging Florida since before it was cool. It’s exactly what the handle says, and it’ll have one of two effects on your. Think of it as a Rorschach test. It’ll either make you feel extremely sane and functional by comparison, or make you want to move to Florida immediately. Either way, you win.
If you’re tired of slightly toxic meme pages that feel like they enable your worst behavior, this one’s for you. Like many meme pages, this one focuses on all the problems plaguing modern women: relationships, toxic masculinity and mental health. But Haley’s candor and her recent foray into spirituality makes this one of our favs of the genre.
If you avoid “spiritual” accounts like the plague, hear me out. Most of them only fuel major lifestyle envy by flashing their no-sulfates, beach-styled shiny locks on some beach in Bora Bora. Or make you want to obsessively work out with their hot yoga bods. Or try to sell you powdered Goji berries—at 10% off, what a steal!
But Haley isn’t a “spiritual” girl, she’s just a girl who recently started meditating and realized it helps her deal with the shit life throws at you every day. She’s sharing her message with humor and no bullshit, two qualities the world desperately needs more of, imo. Because her advice isn’t coming from the literal top of a Tibetan mountain, when homegirl tells you to meditate, it’ll actually make you want to meditate, not strangle her with her Kundalini turban.
Then again, sometimes you need someone to make you feel like your bad habits aren’t really that bad. In that case, Violet Benson is your girl. She’s insanely popular because her memes are broad enough to be widely relatable but specific enough to be original.
Sometimes the best therapy is waking up in less than top form on a Sunday morning and tagging your bff in a meme, knowing that she’ll relate to it as hard as you. Especially when that Sunday morning is actually a Tuesday morning after you both got a little too lit at a gallery dinner and are terrified to find out how much damage control will be required. At the same time, there’s also enough feel-good content to remind you that it is, in fact, all worth it in the end.
As the handle suggests, Kevin Flynn is a white guy and the self-proclaimed best memer alive. Truth be told, this account is the lowest common denominator of meme humor. It’s popular in the way that white bread is popular. But sometimes, when you need a dependable staple, white bread is just the thing.
In the same way, this account will never let you down when you need a chuckle in the next 20 seconds or you’ll explode. Perfect for diverting acute crises, like panic attacks and sobbing fits, or for some dependably mind-numbing scrolling when you’re feeling too unstable to handle anything more. Think of it like eating bland crackers to build up your strength after having food poisoning.
P.S. the account is private so you’ll have to request.
If you thought Buddhism and memes were on opposite ends of some unspoken divide, guess again. Founder of a jewelry company and a surf club and a meditation and yoga teacher, Stephen McManus is trying to get enlightened and meming the process. While spirituality accounts have a tendency to be downright unbearable, there’s nothing holier-than-thou about this guy. If you’re trying to be a better human but still have a sense of humor, this page should be your go-to. Oh, and there’s some fun astrology content too.
Top-notch astrology memes featuring plenty of Queer Eye content. Enough said.
On the off chance that you’re not already following Reductress’ IG page, go do yourself a favor next time you have 5 hours to spare and check it out. It’s basically the Onion majoring in feminist studies. Sometimes these get a little too real, so if you’re not looking to be reminded of all the ways modern society still fucks women, maybe skip this one. Go look at some nice astrology memes instead. But if you’re already fuming over the latest patriarchal bullshit thrown at you, this will take the edge off.
Last but certainly not least, don’t miss our own IG page! You’ll find the crème de la crème of art world memes that’ll make you laugh out loud, even (especially) when you shouldn’t. Warning: don’t scroll when you have VIPs in the gallery. We can’t be held responsible for any sales lost due to inappropriate laughter.
Images via @jerrygogosian, @artmemescentral, @meme_love_you_long_time, @floridapeoplegonewild, @ghosted1996, @daddyissues_, @superspiritual, @bitch.rising, @reductress.
