Celebrities and food are already two of the greatest internet cliches of all time. But does combining the two create some new, totally original third thing? Not exactly, but the Instagram account Celebs On Sandwiches is pretty darned charming anyway. The creation of Los Angeles artist Jeff McCarthy, the account consists of watercolor paintings of various comedians, actors, and singers either sitting or standing on (or next to) gigantic sandwiches. Or maybe the sandwiches are meant to be normal size, and the celebrities have been shrunken down to the size of dolls. Either way, the account beautifully juxtaposes famous people with truly delicious looking sandwiches. What’s not to enjoy here? Celebs On Sandwiches started about seven and a half months ago with a portrait of Comedy Central star Amy Schumer kneeling on a a turkey and avocado sandwich the size of a prayer rug.
Occasionally, an artist will hit upon an idea and realize that it’s a concept worth exploring further. Clearly, this was such a time. In the weeks and months that followed that original post, McCarthy created other watercolor paintings of celebrities paired with various sandwiches. The Celebs roster includes names from all sectors of show business, including such music stars as Taylor Swift (posed primly atop a fried chicken sandwich) and Drake (riding a Canadian bacon and cheese like a surfboard).
Comedians, too, have been fair game for the account. An absurdly large chicken sandwich was placed at the feet of Louis C.K., while Ellen DeGeneres struck a saucy pose atop a grilled veggie wrap.
There are figures from the sports world as well, ranging from Chick Hearn to James Harden.
McCarthy’s images do not betray any agenda beyond mere whimsy. The celebrity portraits are uniformly flattering and friendly, so there is no detectable undercurrent of satire here. Maybe the only point here is that celebrities and sandwiches, while both awesome in and of themselves, are even greater when combined. Or maybe it’s that the sight of Aziz Ansari atop a turkey panini is just funny for no explainable reason. When a premise works, perhaps it’s best not to question it too much.
[via Esquire]