Jason Jones is one of several artists who has found inspiration from an unlikely source: second-hand paintings found in thrift stores, which are altered with robots, Muppets, and other helpful additions.

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Jason Jones, an artist from Fayetteville, Arkansas, has built a career by altering thrift store paintings with playful additions such as robots and Muppets. Initially rejected by graduate art programs, Jones found his niche after modifying a second-hand painting and sharing it online, which quickly attracted buyers. His works now sell for hundreds to over a thousand dollars each, depending on their complexity.

Jones's approach often involves giving new meaning to discarded art, sometimes addressing personal themes like his religious upbringing. While some may view his modifications as controversial, most responses are positive, with many people sharing their own stories. Jones is part of a broader trend of artists updating old works with pop culture elements, often under the banner of parody. He continues to enjoy his craft, valuing the subtle humor and new life he brings to forgotten art.

Jason Jones' altered thrift store art

You might say Jason Jones's art career got off to a bit of a slow start. I applied to like six graduate schools. I got rejected from all of them, you know. I think I learned pretty quick, like, I don't know if I fit into the, like, the fine art world, you know, the gallery scene and all that. But, Jones was undeterred. He painted kids bedrooms, corporate backdrops for Walmart conventions, and lots of murals around his hometown of Fayetteville, Arkansas. And then, one day, after years of trying to break through, something unexpected happened. So, just coming from that poor background, you know, you're always trying to find the cheapest option to, whatever, make your art. Jones bought an old secondhand painting, planning to just use the frame when, for some reason, he felt compelled to add his own personal touch. It's actually the print there behind you, and I just plopped a robot on there for fun, and people really liked it. He says as soon as he posted it on Instagram, people were lining up to buy it. That was new for him back then, but these days, he makes his living selling his altered thrift store art, as he calls it. Most of this is just being thrown out. It feels like they're just like little orphans, I guess, that I can give them a home and just a new life, and then I send them back out in the world. His originals can go from $800 to $1,200, depending on the size and complexity. The modifications can be ominous or silly or even cathartic, after being brought up in a deeply religious home. I think, like, learning that being on the spectrum, like, has a new angle. I would seriously get anxiety just looking at pictures of Jesus, you know? Because it brought you back to your childhood and those feelings of worrying, am I going to go to heaven or hell? Yeah, I think it really affected me. Get the picture. This was the first one of those you did? Yeah, the first one I did, I just kind of did it therapeutically. Jones says paintings of Jesus Christ are by far and away the most common form of thrift store art he encounters. You don't get anybody coming up saying, how dare you? Sometimes it's like an older person might be like a dirty look, but I haven't had anyone just get really angry and yell at me, but most of the time it ends up someone telling me their religious trauma or, yeah, we just have long conversations. I mean, people may think it's sacrilegious that you're adding, like, a hamburger to Jesus's thoughts, but there's, you could say, also a certain sacrilege to the fact that this was retailing for, what, $2.92? Yes. To be clear, Jones isn't the only artist out there adding new images to old ones. There are lots of examples of people adding pop culture updates to existing works. And in case you're wondering, most of the artists making these altered works say they are parody. They say that means their fan art is protected under free speech. In fact, some artists have even been commissioned by companies to use their trademarks, the ultimate intersection of art and commerce. Jason Jones hasn't been approached by any big companies for any big money yet, but that's okay. He's just happy to get to make his living painting. In fact, he says, if he does his job right, people might not even realize he was ever there. Yeah, I think of it almost as, like, jokes. And the subtlety is almost like the timing of the joke. So if you get it just right, you know, it just hits. Well, I've done art shows where people would walk right by my booth. They're just thinking I'm selling old thrift store art, you know, and then their second or third pass, they walk into my booth, and then they're like, oh.

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