Pop Pandemic: Instagram has become a cultural hub for sharing artwork

Our generation is no stranger to social media. We were born into the age of the internet, grew up on MySpace and have lived our lives either directly or vicariously through Instagram.

That being said, when we entered lockdown last March, many of us, stuck in our childhood bedrooms, turned even more inwardly towards social media. My refuge of choice was TikTok; many of my friends resorted to Snapchat and my mom, even, sought sanctuary on Facebook.

While I, and many others, turned to social media to stay in contact with friends —live by proxy through past posts and even keep up-to-date on the news of our ever-changing world — the artists of our generation have used social media to share their art.

Berlin McKeague, a freshman majoring in architecture and a self-proclaimed painter, freehand drawer and photographer, began posting her art on Instagram in November 2020.

“I wanted a way to share my work,” she said, explaining that on social media she’s found an artistic community that allows more flexibility than art classes at USC offer, as there are no rubric requirements on Instagram. 

In her first year at USC, McKeague didn’t have a chance to begin her college experience on campus due to the pandemic. Consequently, art became her solace.

“I’ve enjoyed drawing and painting since I was a kid,” she said, describing herself as lucky to have gotten a chance to continue pursuing her passion for art during quarantine.

Her art Instagram (@berlinsketchbook – Check it out!) features all original pieces, from drawings to photographs, abstract to the hyper-realistic, including a surrealist ode to Tommy Trojan.

I’ve said it before, and I’m sure I’ll say it a million more times in the future: These are crazy times and turning to passions is what’s going to get us through. Berlin, her art and her Instagram are a prime example of this, but they’re just one.

Gianna Alcala, a freshman majoring in environmental engineering, also posts her art on social media to connect with her artistic communities.

Alcala’s artistic refuges of choice are acrylic painting and a newfound passion for textiles. For those who aren’t as familiar with the world of art, textiles consist of dyeing fabric and then (sometimes) creating art with it. Lately, however, she’s been focusing on her sketching.

Alcala posts her art on Instagram, much like McKeague, as well as TikTok, and she’s been at it for a while.

“I made my first art account when I was in ninth grade,” she said. “I make my art and just put it out there to share it and get feedback from other artists.” 

On her art Instagram, she can go “much more in-depth” about her work.

“In a lot of ways, I feel like I’m more myself on my art account, too,” she said. “There’s less of trying to create an image that’s used socially. It’s just more like, this is what I create.”

Alcala’s art Instagram (@gialcala.art – Go check it out!) is chock full of her original artwork, including textiles, acrylic paintings and sketches as well as progress videos of her work.

Both McKeague and Alcala turned to social media as a way to share their art but also ended up finding communities that allow them to express themselves. I’m writing not only to plug amazing artists in the USC community, but also to highlight the benefits of social media.

A large part of today’s dialogue about social media, especially Instagram, focuses on its toxicity. Social media is not perfect — the endless comparisons and flexing can definitely be draining — but finding a social media community that one enjoy’s is important. 

If that community is what’s on your feed right now, that’s amazing. But if it’s not, and if some art on your timeline might help, check out McKeague and Alcala’s art Instagrams. It might be just what is needed to get through our ongoing pandemic world.

Taylor Perry is a freshman writing about COVID-19’s effect on USC’s artists. Her column “Pop Pandemic” runs every other Friday.