10 Artists Of Instagram Worthy Of A Follow

Older generations often warn us about the dangers of the Internet. “Young people don’t know how to socialise anymore; you’re all addicted to social media; you spend all your time staring at screens!” Yada, yada, yada.  You and I both know how much cool stuff there is online, especially in the realm of modern art.

I couldn’t explain the difference between art deco and art nouveau, but I like art. And I like what’s happening with art I see on Instagram. There’s some funny stuff, some experimental stuff, some illegal stuff and some downright strange stuff. There’s a lot of stuff that’s just plain good. Here are some of my favourites:

1. @filthyratbag

She’s a 16-year-old girl from Melbourne, but her art is wise beyond her years. Her real name is Celeste Mountjoy and she does illustrations, both digital and hand-drawn. It’s mostly eccentric cartoony stuff that makes fun of people and things. She might be your new idol. She’s definitely worth a follow.

2. @lushsux

Lush is a street artist who seems to really hate street art, or at least he thoroughly enjoys making fun of it. He’s an exceptionally talented painter but he mostly uses his skills to illegally paint dank memes on public walls. Like any legit street artist, his identity is pretty much a secret and he’s getting pretty good at trolling the media.

3. @porous_walker 

Porous Walker seems to have made a career out of dick drawings which, if you’re into that sort of thing, can be a pretty amusing break from the usual feed. These rough and colourful sketches are a bit weird, but funny nonetheless. Women’s farts, for example, “smell like happiness”. Enjoy the ride.

4. @turckcollage

Based out of New York City, John Turck makes collages that are both dreamy and surreal. His art plays with perspective and space, depicting beautiful landscapes littered with unexpected objects. He also makes prints and t-shirts. It’s good stuff to look at on a sleepy Monday morning.

5. @sofles

This dude is at the top of the street art game at the moment. Though painting with a spray can isn’t to everybody’s taste, Sofles is undeniably talented and unbelievably prolific. Prestigious galleries, magazines and Instagramers are getting excited about Sofles’ art.

6. @alexhooves

Alex Hooves is another talented Melburnian. This guy seems to enjoy drawing furry little 2D characters in spacious landscapes, mostly in black and white. It’s simple but effective stuff, especially on the wall of a skate park.

7. @artbelch

Rather than a single artist, this page is a collection of many which seeks to provide exposure to underrated artists of all styles. Whoever is curating it has good eyes. Paintings, photographs, digitally manipulated images, sketches and collages are all featured, and if you’re an artist looking for exposure you can hashtag #artbelch and they might even feature you.

8. @martin_cartegena

This account is mostly made up of street photography – the grittiest and rawest kind. There’s an authenticity here that is somehow confronting. With so many selfies in the world, it’s kind of nice to see the unpolished side of life. These pictures navigate the fine line between beautiful and ugly.

9. @scottie.marsh

Scottie Marsh has been blowing up lately after a few controversial murals in Sydney. He was responsible for the Kanye loves Kanye piece, which he was allegedly paid  $50,000 to paint over and the infamous #CasinoMike piece, which was in direct protest to Sydney’s lockout laws and also destroyed. Follow Scottie for high quality, politically engaged street art.

10. @eugenia_loli

Eugenia Loli makes collages that remind you that the world is a beautiful and happy place. These works are kitsch, glamorous and retro. Following this account is guaranteed to increase your quality of life.