Why is everyone suddenly comparing themselves to works of art? Classic and modern paintings?!? WAIT, we’re all talking about paintings?
Ok, I am perfectly fine in admitting I had no idea Google even had an app previous to last weekend, but much like you, I of course had to download it and try it myself after a friend had sent me their’s. Really, just like that, overnight we all are waking up to comparisons of pictures of ourselves to paintings! Oh, what a sneaky awesome group of thinkers Google can be!! Granted, this shouldn’t be too much of a stretch, since they are always so creative with art and their logo.
It is interesting that the “Google Arts & Culture App” which has been available since 2016, just suddenly went viral. Sometimes it just takes one thing. In this case, you may have noticed suddenly a lot of selfies with paintings in your Facebook News Feed or in your celebrity filled Twitter feed; well now you know why! It’s all just because this one little feature “Searching with your selfie.”
If you are one of those that have the app and have no idea how everyone is doing it, let me try to walk you through it:
- Bottom left should be red icon for the “Home” icon.
- Scroll down, till you see the collage/grid of famous portraits and center titled “Search with your selfie”
- Click “Get Started”
- “Accept” Google to get rights to your selfie… without you can’t do it.
- Take selfie!! But, warning this is your actual selfie! No filters, no previously taken perfectly framed image of yourself, but really your SELFIE!
- Once taken, it will compile and you can swipe right to see all the comparisons.
- Bottom left offers a Blue Share Feature, but it also only allows you to share one painting at a time. (You can always just screenshot it.)
Who would have guessed that it’s possible for our culture’s obsession with selfies to bring us back to art! The fun thing is that it will also tell you what museum your portrait is hanging in if you get so lucky for a “Face to Face.”
Hopefully we can get you all to share on our Facebook Feed! Cause some of these comparisons are uncanny or down right funny!
*Just a little FYI, not all locations are as lucky as us to have this feature, some states are still without as well as countries outside the US if you plan on asking your friends to compare.
