Funny Artworks: Great Art with a Sense of Humor

Art has always been a means of expressing one's self and showing deep emotion but what about art that is funny? Here you will learn if funny art can still have the label as great art.

Contemporary art became the new face of the art world and there are many questions as to whether it can still be art if it contains funny themes. Contemporary and modern artworks do not just focus on deeper emotions but it also has a sense of humor. In Hyperallergic, two writers talk extensively about whether funny art can also be part of the great art.

In the traditional way, people in art museums find silence a great medium in properly appreciating art and all its depth but what about laughter? Alicia Eler, an art critic and journalist, collaborates with critic and dramaturge, Alex Huntsberger to answer the question: Can art be funny? Well, the verdict is yes. Humor in art expression does not lessen the value of one's artwork. The two writers said that art can be whatever it can be as long as it still fits the very nature of art: filled with thoughts, concepts, humanity, emotion, etc.

There is a huge difference, however, with funny art and with comedy. The objective of comedy is to really reel in the crowd with humor and it becomes a struggle if they do not find it funny. Art, on the other hand, does not need to be funny whether the artist's aim is for it to be. Sticking to the standards of art expression, it depends on the viewer's interpretation.

Art expression has a lot of different avenues such as painting, sketching, sculpting, and even performance and each of them have their strengths as well as their weaknesses. What is challenging when trying to integrate humor in art is that it usually gives up depth as it appeals to the lighter emotions of the people. Originality is also a key factor in the art world (both performance and otherwise) as authenticity equates to admiration whereas imitative equates to disapproval. Funny contemporary artworks skip the depth and just go straight to the point, giving viewers a simplified way in understanding their expression.