While classic art is the foundation on which our society has flourished, many of us today struggle to really "get" art beyond its aesthetic beauty. Thankfully, Ukrainian artist Nastya Ptichek has found a clever way to help people connect with our artistic past by using her own contemporary spin.
"Emoji-Nation" is a five-part series in which classic works of art get a 21st century makeover. For example, one segment of the project gave Edward Hopper paintings an update with emoji and social media icons, translating the enigmatic subjects' thoughts for a modern viewer.
But the highlight of the latest installment? Images that take some of most well-known art -- like "The Great Wave Off Kanagawa" and "Judith with the Head of Holofernes" -- and turn them into stunning posters for modern films. By pairing the paintings with movies we all know and love, the meaning behind the art becomes a little bit clearer, if not more entertaining.
Plus, the seamless execution is a touching reminder of the timelessness of the themes and imagery, ones that make as much sense in 19th century Japan as they do to us now.
Ptichek's theme for the entire "Emoji-Nation" project was, she told Wired, the "correlation between computer technologies and classic art." So in addition to the movie posters, Ptichek transformed more classic art using two tech icons of our time: Microsoft Windows...
... and Google. Note the ubiquitous "Did you mean..." in the corner of the second painting.
Oh, and those Edward Hoppers translated with emoji? Here's one of those, for good measure.
