In Vulture, Jerry Saltz writes about his take on Instagram as an art critic. He was a late adopter of Instagram, having been initially more comfortable with Facebook and Twitter. His introduction to the platform came in 2012 when a student set up his Instagram account, giving him a username and password. The platform’s potential became apparent to him after an incident where he posted a photo of a parking ticket with a sarcastic caption. The post quickly attracted a flurry of comments, both humorous and critical, revealing Instagram’s unique capacity for instant, interactive engagement.
This experience marked a turning point for Saltz, showing him how Instagram could be leveraged beyond mere social networking. He saw it as a tool that could disrupt traditional art criticism, which he had long viewed as an outdated, hierarchical system dominated by a few voices using complex language. In contrast, Instagram allowed for a more democratic and immediate exchange of ideas, blending opinion, criticism, and humour in a format that was accessible and engaging.
Saltz’s approach to Instagram is distinctive. He describes his Instagram presence as a second self—more gregarious and uninhibited compared to his real-life persona. His routine involves waking up, drinking coffee, and scrolling through Instagram to tap into the collective consciousness of his followers. This engagement often inspires his posts, which he refers to as “thumb essays”—short, spontaneous captions accompanying images. This method allows him to overcome writer’s block and engage with a broader audience.
Despite the critical feedback he sometimes receives, Saltz values these interactions, considering them an essential part of his process. He reads every comment and views being “ratioed” (having more comments than likes) as a positive indicator of engagement and learning. Instagram, despite its challenges and the shift towards reels and short-form content, remains a vital platform for him. He finds that reels, though enjoyable, lack the depth and reflection provided by traditional posts with captions.
Saltz acknowledges that Instagram might eventually become outdated, akin to MySpace, but for now, it represents a critical shift in how art criticism is communicated. The platform has transformed his approach to art criticism, allowing him to connect with his audience in new and meaningful ways. Through Instagram, he continues to engage with the art world, embracing its evolving nature while maintaining a daily posting routine that keeps him connected to his followers and their feedback.
Following are the Instagram handles one must follow according to Jerry Saltz
- amysedaris: Sedaris owns the internet with her insane posts.
- maklelan: This scholar of the Bible debunks right-wing Evangelists and religious zealots.
- cardmagicbyjason: By far the best card tricks on-camera you will ever see.
- tammymaealbertson: For some very good naughty fun.
- mepaintsme, folesdog, petershear, and peleckaitealdona: These four accounts regularly post remarkable lesser-known paintings.
- francis_bourgeois43: The sheer joy of watching this English trainspotter.
- matthew.collings_: An art critic I wish I could write like. His observations are always challenging. He posts his own pretty good work, too, with tremendous captions.
- conor_sketches: Fantastic Irish comedian doing parodies of sports figures.
- matthewhiggs2015: An excellent source on all things cultural: bands he sees, books he buys.
- ashcan_daily: One of my fave sites because it seems to loosely prove one of my secret thoughts: There’s no such thing as a bad Ashcan painting.
- artbutmakeitsports: What art and sports lover could not feel the frisson of fun that this savant inspires with his comparisons between the two disciplines?
- alto_basso_medioevo: Gorgeous frescos and churches to die for.
- jackwatteau: Posts some of the best, most squirrely-strange pictures out there.
- walterrobinsonstudio: Another critic who I wish I could write like and whose captions are mysterious but wonderful. A good artist, too.
- sciepro.official: Gorgeous videos of how the body works from the inside in seductive color and accuracy.
- traceyeminstudio: The most powerful artist on Instagram posts deeply moving accounts of her life and art. A must-follow.
- ohthattimdavis: A hell of a photographer. I seem to like about every odd image he posts.
- onwasow: A prophet of anonymous images.
- madison_humphrey: I can’t get enough of her incredibly funny comedic riffs.
- rimanellidavid: His fine-tuned aesthetic sensibility is second to none. Sometimes he will post more than a dozen images in a day. All of them spot on.
- joannervej, breakingthegaycodeinart, and liliums_compendium: These accounts embody an enticing homoeroticism and aesthetic.
- dimestoreradio and dusttodigital: These two tremendous accounts are a fantastic source of roots music and other odd ways of making sounds. Follow them and thank me later.
- kathygriffin: Long videos of her act and commentary. A brilliantly funny, always vulnerable anti-MAGA star comedian. (We went to the same high school in the suburbs of Chicago.)
- the_line_up: This photographer stops people on the New York street and asks them to stand against a wall, somehow always capturing their style and personality.
- aarneanton: A great outsider art dealer who posts super-great stuff all the time.
- calebwsimpson: My apartment tour with him got over 19 million views.
- keithartnature: A fantastic eye who posts some of the best close-ups of art anywhere.
- whywelook: In the spring of 2020, Marvin Heiferman lost his husband, likely to COVID. This account is about his ongoing journey into missing him, remembering him, loving him.
- trucker__views and crashdashes: As a former long-distance truck driver, I follow a lot of trucker and non-fatal accident accounts. Try these two.
- ozzymanreviews: A hilarious Australian poster who narrates found videos.
- terriblyawesomecovers: Posts videos of bands no one has ever heard of. Priceless.
- whiting_jesse: His homoerotic photo dumps are fantastic.
- citizen_ck: A great source of vintage TV and movie clips.
- girlsonprn: The best sex-and-laughs podcasters in the business.
- paulstamets: He knows everything there is to know about our fungal neighbors, the mushrooms.
- salarytransparentstreet: Let this account amaze you with its forthright honesty about what all of us might be earning.
- will_lord_prehistoric_survival: A man in England making and using prehistoric tools to make other prehistoric tools. A real fave.
- wheelchair_rapunzel: This wheelchair-using creator regularly posts on the disabled life in a deeply ableist society.
- burningman: We all hate it but need to see it, so you might as well spy on it here.
- paris.starn: A confection-maker who makes you wish she would send her confections to you.
- fille_delespace: Wowser posts on outer space that explain astrophysics.
- veragirivi: A fantastic self-taught Italian artist.
- headonfirepod: This excellent author and poet posts fast and super-interesting takes on everything.
- f1: The best sport on earth. Period.
- denniskardon: This painter posts pics of other people’s work and adds intriguing commentary.
- defdylan: For my money, the best Dylan podcast. Also posts fanboy pics of Dylan and keeps you updated on this holy man’s activities.
- scott_rothkopf: Yes, he is the big honcho at the Whitney, but that hasn’t stopped him from posting great videos and images of things he sees in other museums and galleries.
- thegreatwomenartists: One of the best Instagram accounts and podcasts devoted to art history.
- damienhirst: The artist everyone loves to hate was once great and still makes fascinating (and sometimes horrendous) videos of his studio.
- martinlherbert: Berlin-based art critic with a wry sense of humor.
- kennyschachter: Mi amigo, an artist and writer who posts some of the most sly videos and pics.
- lincolnproject.us, meidastouch, ananavarrofl, redeye.republic, other98, harryshannon, and jjmacdad: These seven accounts can get you through the many dark nights of the 2024 election.
- cynthiarowley and themarcjacobs: Pick two designers and follow them. Rowley and Jacobs are regular posters, each interesting.
- birdieslovesme: Here is a trans-friendly lingerie shop by my old Kansas City pal Peregrine Honig.
- yorkshire.fossils: In an alternate life, I would have lived here and cracked open random rocks to find 185 million-year-old fossils.
- fifthavenuehearing: Finally, a public-service announcement for anyone who may find themselves saying “What?” more often than they used to. My audiologist will fix and heal you. Get your hearing checked. It only gets worse and can affect cognitive abilities.
- gemmacorrell: A great illustrator specializing in feminist and female content.
- sew_through_time: A woman dresses in a different era’s clothes, all the while narrating the styles and ideas of the time.
- miniaturwunderland: A site based in Hamburg that features its gigantic layout of a teeny miniature world — including Monaco’s F1 race track.
- angiepontani: My “Design Hunting” pal, Wendy Goodman, discovered this incredible burlesque dancer who lives in an amazing home in South Brooklyn.
- prehistoric.dinosaur.hub: Short animated clips of dinosaurs that just make you wish that there could be a 24-hour channel that only shows stuff like this.
- sternshow: These short clips convinced me that Howard Stern is one of the greatest interviewers alive.
- laurencella: This super-fast-talking “teacher” gives historical lectures on Henry VIII, the discovery of America, the Roman Empire, and the Civil War, all in the lingo of Gen Z, often while sipping from an iced coffee through a straw. Terrifying!
- karentangmd: A doctor and writer who tells it like it is about women’s health.
