While cannabis can be a catalyst for creativity, the plant and the activity of smoking can also be the inspiration, in and of itself, for a number of artists. As many leaders in the cannabis space — from branding experts to cultivators — have taken to Instagram to the spread their message, so too have a number of 420-inspired artists. Though not all their art has to do with getting high, smoking weed is a prominent theme in the works of various creatives. Here are a few of Jane Street‘s favorites.
Alexandra Caprice
As an illustrator and printmaker, Alexandra Caprice’s art is fun, poppy, animated, and looks a little like stills from a would-be TV show for lady stoners. From images of pink bongs and doughnuts to women getting high and meditating, Caprice is redefining the way we see women in the cannabis space.
Moon Bacon
Puff puff pink, Moon Bacon’s imagery is the quintessential depiction of girly ganja culture. With illustrations of red manicured hands holding joints and pipes against a pink backdrop, Moon Bacon makes smoking weed seem glamorous, edgy, and in vogue. Her art is available in various forms from stickers and pins to t-shirts and pouches.
Vincent Gordon
From the south side of Chicago, Vincent Gordon’s animated blotter art is both wacky and ghoulish, something of a Dr. Seuss meets Hunter Thompson, set inside a Simpsons universe. He produces live shows across the country, and has done work for notables like Snoop Dogg and High Times Magazine.
Dan Cretu
Blending sculpture with photography and setting his images against poppy, colorful backdrops, Dan Cretu is known to integrate the cannabis plant into his art quite often. From counting sheep — made out of cannabis buds — to replacing a big roll of schwarma with a big cannabis bud, he finds creative ways to use 420 imagery in his photography.
Killer Acid
Artist Rob Corradetti, a.k.a. Killer Acid, specializes in screen prints, paintings, comic books, t-shirts, and “psychedelic ephemera.” On his website, Killer Acid’s style is described as a “blend of head shop and punk rock…inspired by Corradetti’s teenage prankster years, hearkening back to his tumultuous and technicolor coming of age in Delaware in the early 1990s.” He’s since created work for various bands like Fall Out Boy, Mac Demarco, The Growlers, and Whiz Khalifa, as well as illustrations for clients like VICE, MISHKA, Buzzfeed, and ETSY.
Pierre Schmidt
Pierre Schmidt credits his collection of surreal illustrations to smoking weed. His detailed images of women getting, whilst high covered in flowers are trippy, beautiful, and thrilling. Based in Berlin, Schmidt describes his art on his website as an ethereal exploration into his own psyche.
