This Instagram Account Is Turning Heads With Its Quirky Comparisons Of Athletes And Artworks (45 New Pics)

Once again, Bored Panda reached out to LJ, the creator of "Art But Make It Sports", to ask more questions about the initiative. Their account gets tagged a lot in sports photos, and we were curious about how their community engagement shapes the content they share. "It’s essential, and it’s been really rewarding to see just how big the community has gotten," the creator shared. "I’d say 99% of comments that come through are positive, and people are constantly tagging the account in/DMing in sports images that they want to see done. I try to tailor the content to the audience, and there’s no better way to do so than to have the audience request in."

Besides museums and galleries, LJ draws inspiration from other "muses" as well. "Last year, Ja Morant was a big one, though that hasn’t gone as planned this season. I enjoy the work of specific photographers. When it comes to artists, I’ve certainly seen/studied some more than others, but I’m always on the lookout for something new/pieces I’ve never seen before."

LJ revealed that they have more than 10,000 images of artwork that they’ve taken themselves from museums. "I’ve done a pretty good job of memorizing specific works/the gist of a majority of them. For there, I’ll see a sports image, and then either draw from that memory or the memory of a specific artwork that I haven’t photographed but is famous (for example, the Sistine Chapel ceiling). Or, I’ll recognize a certain theme in art history that could work or a specific artist’s style, and then look through a catalog of corresponding work online. Across that, something usually comes together, and I have a pretty good sense as soon as I look at a sports image if I’ll be able to come up with something."

We asked LJ if there are specific sports or art genres that they haven't explored yet but are interested in incorporating into 'Art But Make It Sports'. "Modern and Contemporary Art is always fun to pull off because it’s rarer and arguably harder to do," the creator answered. "I love all sports, so I'm just looking for the next interesting image regardless of where it came from! I’m starting to think about ways to better share my work - a coffee table book, perhaps, or a pop-up. We’ll see what 2024 brings!"