Toons invade classic art

(Source: www.worth1000.com)

(Writer's note: This isn't a news item per say, but it was too much fun to resist. Enjoy!)

Classic toons and classic paintings. They go together like Sylvester and Tweety (am I the only one who actually rooted for the cat in those cartoons? I really wanted that bird to go down!). At least, website Worth1000 thinks so. They've sponsored a contest for people to Photoshop their favourite cartoon character into a classic painting. The results range from the silly to the disturbing (I'm disturbed. Aroused, but disturbed).

Here are the contest rules, lifted from the site: "Tex Avery. Chuck Jones. Bill Watterson. It's clear that many of the great artists of the last century chose to work in the medium of cartoons. But what if they had decided to showcase their creations in classic paintings instead?

"In this contest, you are asked to update an old painting, swapping in a cartoon character for the original subject. Use traditional, two-dimensional characters only: No Computer Generated Characters (Incredibles, Shrek, etc.)

"The rule restricting the use of 2-D characters is of course suspended, but the rest of the cliche list is still in effect. But remember, No Computer Generated, "3-D-ish" Characters. Have fun, be creative, follow the guidelines please, and be careful to avoid using cliches(sic). You will have 48 hours to submit so make your entry count!"

As with any contest, some images are more successful than others. Personally, I think Cinderella in Bouguereau's Le Ravissement de Psyche is pretty hot, and Mickey Mouse in Caravaggio's Medusa is a hoot. Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp is a little odd, mainly because Sylvester looks like he's about to have that cadaver for lunch. And putting Yosemite Sam in Goya's Shootings of May 3, 1808 is not right on several levels.

Anyway, click here to see all the entrants.

Print Article

Email Article

View All Articles

How to subscribe to feeds