Art that makes you laugh: why funny prints are trending

For about ten years, every home on the internet looked the same. Grey sofa, white walls, a print of a single leaf, and maybe a line drawing of a face if you were feeling wild. It was calm. It was tasteful. It was, let's be honest, a bit dead.

Then people got bored. I've watched it happen from my stall in Covent Garden: more and more people walk past the serious stuff and stop at the joke. Here's why I think funny art is having its moment.

1. Everyone got tired of beige

Minimalism was a reaction to clutter. Now there's a reaction to minimalism. People want homes that look like a person lives there: colour, pattern, books, odd objects and art with something to say. A funny print is the fastest way to give a room a personality.

2. Home became the main stage

We spend more time at home than ever: working, hosting, video calling. The wall behind you on a call is now a public space. A print that makes colleagues smirk is a lot more fun than a blank wall.

Ha Ha Ha No is the perfect video-call background. Nobody has ever asked for another meeting after seeing it. Saving for Botox is for the colleague who is honest about their priorities.

3. Humour makes people feel good

A funny piece gives you a small lift every time you walk past it. Not a big one, nobody's rolling on the floor on their fourth week of seeing it, but a smile. Multiply that by every day for years and it's a pretty good return on twenty quid.

4. It starts conversations

Guests read the walls. A funny print is an icebreaker that does the work for you. "Please Don't Do Cocaine in the Bathroom" has started more conversations than any candle ever made. Some of them were even appropriate.

5. It photographs brilliantly

Bold words and bright colours stand out on a phone screen. People photograph funny art, post it, tag it and send it to their group chats. That's part of why slogan art spreads.

6. It feels personal

Funny art says something about the person who chose it. A rude print says "I don't take life too seriously". A fashion joke says "yes, I know what a Birkin costs". A house rule says "I love you, now go home". It's self-expression that doesn't need explaining.

7. It makes art less scary

A lot of people feel art isn't "for them". Galleries can be intimidating, prices can be terrifying and some art seems to need a degree to understand. A funny print is the opposite: you get it in one second, you laugh, you're in. For many people, a funny print is their first piece of real art.

It's not new, though

Artists have been funny for a long time. Pop art was cheeky from the beginning: Warhol painted soup, Lichtenstein painted comic panels, Oldenburg made giant floppy hamburgers. Text artists have been putting jokes and slogans on walls for decades. If you want the background, read pop art history, from Warhol to now.

How to do funny art well at home

• One joke per wall. Two loud prints next to each other shout over each other.
• Match the joke to the room. Bathroom rules in the bathroom, champagne jokes by the drinks, motivational ones in the bedroom.
• Mix it with calmer pieces. A funny print looks cleverer next to something quiet.
• Frame it nicely. A great frame makes a joke look like art. A bad one makes it look like a fridge magnet. See how to frame art prints.

My take

My motto is "I don't sell art, I sell humour". That's not because I think art should be silly. It's because I think laughing is serious business. A piece that makes you smile on a grey Tuesday is doing something important. If that's a trend, I hope it sticks around.

Want to see the funny ones in person? I'm at Jubilee Market Hall every weekend. Or browse my funny art prints online.

Funny art questions