Artimproved - Blog Posts

Art Improved: Self-Portrait

“This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you,” Don McLean sings on “Vincent.” Though those words were written about Van Gogh, they could be applied to his modern day counterpart, Kanye West.

Much like Vincent Van Gogh, Kanye is vastly under-appreciated. With each new album, fashion show, and interview, he reveals a piece of his soul to the world. Many pass him off as “insane” or “ranting,” but if they took the time to listen, they’d see there was a vast trove of knowledge he’s bestowing upon the world. His artistic methods don’t always resonate with the public, but neither did Van Gogh’s with his contemporaries. Kanye himself has said “name one genius that ain’t crazy,” and he’s absolutely right. All innovation is misunderstood at first, before the rest of the population can see its merits. 

We can not allow his genius to pass us by and have his greatness appreciated only posthumously. We must not repeat the errors of the past, and truly listen to Kanye for what he is: one of the leading creative minds of his generation. 

Art Improved: Creation of Man

In around 1512, Michelangelo painted a fresco on the roof of the Sistine Chapel which stands as one of the most iconic pieces of the Renaissance. The image depicts God giving the gift of life to Adam and start of humanity. Unfortunately, Michelangelo was not alive in 1977 when another miracle occurred: the birth of Kanye.

If the image were to be improved and modernized to contemporary standards, Michelangelo would have painted Kanye West receiving the gift of talent from God. Here the depiction shows how Michelangelo would have conceived this painting today, had he known Kanye during his lifetime.

Art Improved: Son of Man

In 1964, the Surrealist René Magritte painted the iconic “Son of Man.” The image serves as a self-portrait with a lone apple obscuring his face. About this painting, he said, “Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see.” 

If Magritte had been alive during the 21st century, he would have, no doubt, modernized his painting for a contemporary audience. Kanye West would naturally be the most fitting subject. The idea that “everything we see hides another thing” is a theme that reverberates through Kanye West’s art and his life, in the grander sense. Magritte would have had a strong appreciation for that fact, and thus, would have improved the painting by the inclusion of Kanye West. Kanye West being obscured by the apple is a direct symbolism for how the media and other channels obscure the meaning of Kanye’s messages, whether intentionally or due to their inability to grasp his genius.

Art Improved: The Scream

Between 1893 and 1910, Edvard Munch created four different iterations of “The Scream,” which has remained an icon ever since. This is the most recognizable image of the painting. 

There are many theories as to the meaning of the painting. Edvard Munch has said that it appeared to him as a force of nature one evening while on a stroll. He felt a scream reverberate through the scenery around him and was inspired to paint it.

If we were to have a human manifest this symbolic event, there is no better one than Kanye West. Kanye has been a reflection of society and the very fabric of this world. He embodies nature and states things as they are in the world around him. Thus, this painting has been updated with the knowledge we now have of Kanye West to better represent its intended meaning.