Instagram has transcended merely showcasing great photographers and artsy portraits of your latest gourmet meals, and has become a perfect digital gallery for visual artists of all kinds. One of our favorites is a collaboration between Josie Keefe (@beastfeast) and Phyllis Ma (@specialnothing) that goes by the moniker Lazy Mom (@lazymomnyc), bridging the gap between absurdist consumer culture commentary and bold pop art sculpture. Read on below to learn more, follow them to see just how amazing weird can get, and check out our own Instagram feed (@thedailybeast) for their takeover, very appropriately happening over this national birthday weekend.
So what the heck is Lazy Mom, anyway? Who are you two?
We are Josie Keefe and Phyllis Ma—New York-based prop stylist and window dresser, respectively. We’re both 28 years old, we love to surf, and we like to think a lot about colors and shapes. LAZY MOM is our collaboration baby, born of our obsession for arranging and re-arranging objects.
INSTAGRAMMER OF THE WEEK: LAZY MOM
How did you two meet, and what was the inspiration?
We both went to Columbia at the same time, but we didn’t actually meet ’til a few years ago through mutual friends. We wanted to style things that didn’t necessarily make sense, starting with the idea of putting fruit inside fruit, like a fruit turducken.
How has it been going / what have you been up to?
It’s been awesome! We actually didn’t expect the collaboration to go beyond making the first zine, but we kept getting pregnant with more and more ideas. We went viral on Instagram and Tumblr recently, so we’re stoked to be feeding the internet and letting its energy feed us in return. This summer, we’ve ventured into video. We’re experimenting with stop-motion, and we’re working with our friend Andy Chugg to make original soundtracks for them.
How does someone check out your stuff beyond Instagram?
Visit www.lazymomnyc.com, or just come to our houses, or find us in the bologna section at Food Bazaar.
How has being on Instagram helped promote what you’re doing, and how do you use Instagram as part of your process?
Instagram has been great exposure for us; it’s pretty mind-blowing that people all over the world are paying attention to our weird edible arrangements. Not to mention, it’s interesting for us to see what images people really respond to, because it’s usually not what we expect! The limits of Instagram in terms of 15-second videos and short attention spans has definitely inspired us to keep challenging ourselves and the audience. We don’t want to just make pretty pictures—we want to gross you out a little too.
What are some of your favorite Instagram accounts and why?
We love @teklan for her crazy Scandanvian sense of color and light, @hokaytokay for her compositions, and @reallybigsnickersfan for the dedication in lugging a really big Snickers everywhere.