June 23, 2016
A local artist has brought one of the internet's all-time greatest memes to canvas.
Crying Jordan, the shot of basketball legend Michael Jordan tearing up during his Hall of Fame induction ceremony, has been used for sports losses, public embarrassments and pretty much everything else. It's been analyzed in detail and was almost ruined by the severely-out-of-touch social media team at "Good Morning America."
And now, it's a painting by Philly artist Brandon Grumbling. Philebrity first made note of Grumbling's piece, which he posted on his Instagram page.
Grumbling's inspiration? Here's an excerpt of his artist's statement, via Philebrity:
I try to produce paintings that are easily accessible and quickly recognizable; often directly referencing images and subjects that have spawned trending jokes on Instagram. I'm interested in using my work to comment on the state of our culture and how the Internet has directly impacted the way we absorb our surroundings and interact with each other in a time when everyone is only a tap or swipe away at any moment.
That statement applies to many of the other works featured on Grumbling's Instagram. A scroll through his page shows a painting for the internet's obsession with Guy Fieri....
...Drake...
...and Shrek.
You can check out Grumbling's website here, and his Instagram page here.