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Jared Davies

6:00 pm 8:00 pm

Current show

Jared Davies

6:00 pm 8:00 pm

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Coronavirus: Life imitates art as people recreate masterpieces at home

Written by on 03/04/2020

While art galleries in cities across the world remain closed due to the coronavirus crisis, art fans are being encouraged to become artists themselves.

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The Getty Museum in Los Angeles has challenged its fans to recreate iconic works using props they have to hand while at staying at home.

The museum gave three tips:

1. Choose your favourite artwork

2. Find three things lying around your house

3. Recreate the artwork with those items – and share online

Getty staff said the challenge was inspired by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and an Instagram account called Between Art and Quarantine and are inviting people to use downloadable artworks from Getty’s online collection.

The museum has been closed since 14 March and will remain closed until further notice.

The results, which have been posted across social media sites such as Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #Gettymuseumchallenge have provided some much-needed amusement during these unprecedented times.

One example shared on the Getty website was a recreation of Vincent Van Gogh’s Irises using just raw carrot, Play-Doh and wooden beads.

Another follower recreated a Frida Kahlo self-portrait using a coat hanger, paper towels and spoons.

In a recreation of a Picasso, a contortionist cat was photographed posing on a sofa.

Top tips for making an uncanny replica of the original include enlisting pets or children; making it edible by using food and going abstract.

Social media and other digital tools have become crucial for museums and institutions during this period of lockdown.

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Visitors can view exhibitions and artefacts online and take virtual tours which is great for keeping boredom at bay.

(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: Life imitates art as people recreate masterpieces at home