Image via Complex Original
Every artist has their own distinct inspirations, personality, and aesthetic. So, it only makes sense that each iconic artist has their own unique spirit and, as a result, a spirit animal. Are we surprised that Yoko Ono replied with "human," when asked what her spirit animal was? No, but we're pretty sure that she is anything but human, which is probably not a bad thing. Gather around the Ouiji board...today we are channeling The Spirit Animals of Your Favorite Artists.
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David Hockney
Spirit Animal: Polar Bear
It may be the nice head of blonde hair, but we find that David Hockney resembles the Polar Bear. While water is a prominent theme in his work, the polar bear, literally chills in the water in its spare time. We also wouldn't mind cuddling with either of them, but we're not sure who would bite first.
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Keith Haring
Spirit Animal: Lemur
Long, lean, and having a constantly surprised expression, the lemur is clearly Haring's spirit animal. The lemur jumps around as much as Haring's dancing figures. Lemurs also live in a female dominated society, so Haring's anti-patriarchal art would be well appreciated.
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Yayoi Kusama
Spirit Animal: Ladybug
Since Kusama has an undeniable obsession with polka dots, it took us maybe .002 seconds to channel Kusama's spirit animal, which is obviously the ladybug. We are sure that the ladybug would feel at home in one of her art pieces.
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Mark Rothko
Spirit Animal: Badger
Rothko was known to be a solitary and temperamental man, who resembles the same characteristics as a badger. Neither creature hibernates, but they are sure that they do not like to be around other people. Prone to change moods dramatically, nobody would want to mess with Rothko's badger-like personality.
Frida Kahlo
Spirit Animal: Panther
Sensual, strong, and feisty are the perfect description words of Frida Kahlo, and her spirit animal, the black panther. She was never one to be a wall flower, but she was stealthy and clever with her words. We feel as though the black panther embodies the Kahlo spirit.
Vincent Van Gogh
Spirit Animal: White Cat
Most know about Van Gogh's one ear, which he chopped off during one of his panic attacks. We are sure that he could not hear very well after the incident, so we decided that a white cat with different colored eyes would make the perfect match. Not only are they deaf, but their mismatched eyes reflect the contrasting colors that were a staple in his work.
Kara Walker
Spirit Animal: Scorpion
Like a scorpion, Kara Walker may not seem that dangerous at first sight, but her ideas sure pack a punch. Scorpions are small, but can kill organisms that are much larger than them at a slow pace. Her art is graphic and violent, killing people softly as they reflect the perspective of race in American society.
Henri Matisse
Spirit Animal: Gouldian Finch
Matisse was a jolly guy, which you can see in most of his colorful cut-outs and fauvist paintings. So, it only makes sense that his spirit animal would be a Gouldian Finch, which is as liberated as his brush stroke and as colorful as his historical pieces of art.
Marina Abramovic
Spirit Animal: Lizard
Capable of sitting still for a long, long time, the lizard seemed like the perfect spirit animal for Marina Abramovic á la The Artist is Present. We can't tell if it's her slick, black hair or her smooth pale skin, but her face just seems to give off a lizard-like impression.
Salvador Dalí
Spirit Animal: African Yellow Bat
It is hard to find an animal that encompasses the most eccentric man in the art world, but we knew we hit the jackpot when we came upon this photograph of the African bat. Both the bat and Dalí don't mind looking extremely strange, and whether it is with melting clocks or echolocation, the two communicate in ways that most humans don't.
Yoko Ono
Spirit Animal: Irish Setter
Like Yoko, Irish Setters love attention and are extremely sociable. They also always need something to do, and we all know that Ms. Ono likes to keep herself busy with a variety of creative projects. Don't forget that they both have the capability to grow long, awesome hippie hair.
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Jackson Pollock
Spirit Animal: Bull
If you have ever seen a Pollock, you have definitely felt the magnitude of energy and anger that went into each piece. Thus, we have chosen the bull, which is as heavy as the oil paint that Pollock used and as passionate as his strokes.
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Judy Chicago
Spirit Animal: Elephant
Judy Chicago is all about the ladies. Her spirit animal had to be just as feminist as her work, so we chose the Elephant, one of the only animals that live in a matriarchal system where the ladies are the leader of the pack. Like the mother elephant, Chicago paved the way for many other feminist aritsts.
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Spirit Animal: Nubian Ibex
The Nubian mask was a consistent theme in Basquiat's neo-primitive works, so the Nubian Ibex seems like it could definitely be his spirit animal. The Nubian Ibexs only hang out in herds, and Basquiat loved to party with other artists. Not to mention that the Ibex's ostentatious horns remind us of Basquiat's awesome dreads.
Sandy Kim
Spirit Animal: Hedgehog
Sandy Kim, one of our generation's most prominent new, contemporary photographers, embodies the spirit of the most adorable hedgehog. First of all, both are tiny and have a great head of hair. Some of her photographs are as painful to look at as it is to touch an angry headgehog's spine.
Shepard Fairey
Spirit Animal: Owl
With a job like Fairey's, his spirit animal definitely had to be nocturnal. Cue the owl. As one of the pioneers of American street art, Fairey has the knowledge of a wise owl when it comes to making a great piece of street art.
Cindy Sherman
Spirit Animal: Chameleon
Comparing Cindy Sherman with a chameleon goes without saying. The infinite amount of colorful transformations that chameleons go through in their lifetime surely represents Sherman's ability to transform into hundreds of different identities in her photographs.
Andy Warhol
Spirit Animal: Pomeranian
What makes the pomeranian Warhol's spirit animal other than their awesome matching hair dos? Both are prevalent in pop culture, girls like to put their pictures in their dorm rooms, and they both love to be pampered. Although Warhol seems pretty intimidating, he was a very sensitive dude that liked to hang out with his mom. He's fluffier than we think.
Barbara Kruger
Spirit Animal: Black Widow Spider
We all know by now that Barbara Kruger's art inspired the Supreme font and aesthetic that we see on every cool dude in town. The Black Widow Spider also happens to wear the same colors as Kruger's iconic pieces of art. We'd like to think that her art packs the same punch as the Black Widow's lethal venom.
Pablo Picasso
Spirit Animal: Platypus
The platypus is pretty weird-looking, but it is deceivingly venomous. Like the deathly platypus, one doesn't simply love a work by Picasso at first sight. One needs to learn and appreciate his peculiar, cubist style to understand how powerful his work is.
