So semi-recently joined the instagram bandwagon…and more recently got an iphone which some how makes instagram so much more addictive.    I admit, I have fallen for all it’s filtered glory.  THEN I discovered celebrity instagrams…which felt more strange to me than I had expected.  Sure, we are in an era where celebrities can directly connect with their fans pretty much constantly and  we are all able to over-share, but there’s something about celebrities taking self-portraits, and filtering them that’s in a whole other ballpark.   It partly reminds me of Marilyn Monroe famously ruining photographers photos by markering up the negatives and destroying them so she could have control….and that control feels in a similar vein to celebrities sharing their own photos..

A photo Marilyn Monroe destroyed from her Bert Stern sitting.

On the other hand, these celebrities are often TAKING their own photos…and it’s in the surreal world of photos of them on planes and cabs, hair and make up, looking tired, looking fabulous. baking…and they want you to know all about it…and through a variety of preset filters. They can make themselves glow more in sunlight or look more vintage.  They also can just have assistants and friends take all the photos too and then caption them.

I. Love. It.
Carly Rae Jepsen’s is one of my particular favorite accounts to follow.  It’s completely juxtaposed between her at sold out massive concerts and meeting all sorts of famous people..to…what the most common of instagram photos are.  New make up. food. pretty places. cell phone mirror shots…and then getting a gazillion ‘likes’.

My iphone and Carly Rae Jepsen’s instagram

I meant to just spit out a few paintings on the subject matter, but based on my level of fascination and lack of ability to narrow down which photos I want to work from, I think a series is coming on.

Here is the first, based on a photo from Taylor Swifts’ account.

“taylorswift: My two new friends!!!!! I had so much fun tonight!”. Oil and Acrylic on Panel. 2012

ps. the captions are my favorite.