The Downcycled Art That Turns Peter Griffin into Jesus Christ

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure — or in this case, another man’s work of art. In his own words, Texas-based artist and tattooer Tyler Turnbull is painting “silly things into unloved art.” Tom and Jerry in a Dalhart Windberg print. SpongeBob and Patrick on a “soulless and mass produced” beach that Turnbull says you’d only find hanging in an Airbnb in Galveston or Florida. The project, aptly titled “Downcycled,” sees him taking some of cartoon’s most beloved characters and painting them into damaged canvases. 

Turnbull’s Instagram offers insight into the process from start to finish. He brings us to different thrift stores where he sources his forgotten art, explaining why some pieces caught his eye over others, spells out his technique (like preferring acrylic to oil) and describes the different stylistic choices he’s made to maintain the integrity of the original print while creating a seamless new piece of art with his additions.

So if you find yourself desperately needing a depiction of the Quahog gang at the Last Supper, you know exactly where to look.