To learn more about art, memes, and their impact, we contacted art historians Melanie V. Taylor and Dr. Ben Street.
Taylor specializes in 16th-century symbolism in European illuminated manuscripts and paintings and believes that memes can have a positive impact on the art world by, for example, sparking deeper conversations about it, but to do so, they need to avoid oversimplifying the subject.
"Where art is concerned, they can [...] poke fun at some aspects that the general public has difficulty understanding, such as performance art. Many do not understand that, and find it weird," she told Bored Panda.
"A meme may spark some interest, inspiring an individual to look deeper into the subject, and then they will find that the cave paintings and various sculptures from as long ago as 40,000 years ago could equally be mistaken for having been created within the last 70 years of post-WW2 expressionist movements," Taylor added.
Dr. Ben Street, who is an author, lecturer, and educator based in London, United Kingdom, agrees.
"I think memes can definitely have a positive impact on the art world," he told Bored Panda. However, he believes they shouldn't tackle questions surrounding the meaning of art. "No one's going to agree on that and it's not urgent. Instead, they should focus on wider problems in the art industry. There are so many. Memes can draw attention to them."
One of such issues discussed on r/artmemes is the rise of AI in the creative industries. Many community members are concerned that the technologies can overshadow traditional artistry, and create posts about its authenticity, ownership, and the future of human creativity.
Their worries are understandable. After all, Los Angeles is even set to introduce the world's first AI art museum. Dubbed Dataland, it is expected to open its doors in 2025, in a new development next to the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Broad Museum, and the home of the LA Philharmonic, penetrating the space of the city's most prestigious cultural venues.
So r/artmemes does offer a medium for relevant conversations.
Street, the author of How to Enjoy Art: A Guide for Everyone, acknowledges that memes can be a form of art in and of themselves, but questions the necessity of categorizing them as such.
Indeed, according to researchers looking at modern forms of communication, they are a language in themselves, with a capacity to transcend cultures and construct collective identities between people.
As Paolo Gerbaudo, a reader in digital politics and director of the Centre for Digital Culture at Kings College London told the BBC, these pictures "are one of the clearest manifestations of the fact there is such a thing as digital culture."
Memes are said to tap into collective online consciousness and have been referred to as digital folklore – or "Netlore."
As John Fisher highlighted, comparisons such as Hamlet versus South Park or Beethoven's Fifth Symphony versus Justin Bieber's "Eenie Meanie" can provoke thoughts about distinctions between "high" and "low" art. And so can memes.
But this line of thinking, according to Melanie Taylor, is a very personal one.
"Since the advent of photography (an art form in its own right from its beginning in 1839 on both sides of the English Channel) and the spin-offs such as cinema, newsreels, [and] docudramas (so many!), art is no longer a representation of a recognizable individual, place or time in history," she explained.
The context becomes intertwined, and "memes pointing to the content of paintings such as 'The Wreck of the Medusa' (1818-19) by Theodore Gericault would inspire some to look deeper into this history painting."
