What is the main factor that makes art what it is? It may sound like a rhetorical question or maybe too generic to find an answer that fits everyone. But for the purposes of this post, we can say that art has what it takes to make you stop right on your feet and trigger some pure, genuine awe — even for just a couple of seconds.
From the Sistine Chapel to “The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” plenty of works have captured people’s imagination and attention. But what about when you’re just walking down the street and see something so random yet beautiful that seems like it should belong to a museum? From the lines of a cracked phone screen to the ice on trees during winter, everyday objects can form patterns and shapes that are both awe-inspiring and unexpected. Whatever the case may be, you can’t help but stop and stare at this random piece of art that is just… there, in all its offbeat creativity and glory.
Not sure what we’re talking about? Time to show you then. Scroll down and take a look at this collection of unexpected art, aka art gems hiding in plain sight! We’ve scoured the internet to find some of the best examples of art in everyday life, shared by the people who captured them! Each picture is unique, and all of them are proof that you never know where the next piece of accidental art might be hiding. They all challenge traditional notions of what art is and where it can be found — and the best part? They weren’t born with the intention of being art, making their beauty all the more remarkable!
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In Cute Cat News, My Mom Put Up An Easter Decal On Our Front Door And It Makes Gigi Look Like A Dr. Seuss Character
Unstirred Paint
Something Bumped Against A Wall At Work And Made A Painting Of A Snowy Town
Rainstorm Creates A Watercolor Painting On Windshield
Art Only Nature Can Create. My Fence This Morning After A Snowy Night On Terschelling, The Netherlands
Barksy
Sunset Reflected In A Broken Mirror
Took A Small Squirt Of My Shaving Gel, And Got A Little Chicken!
This Shadow From Two Different Trees In My Parking Lot
Even The Shadows In Scotland Are Plaid
This Cracked Windshield Looks Like A Van Gogh
A Patient Experienced Claustrophobia And Had A Panic Attack During A Ct Scan
The Pattern The Ice Left On My Grill
The Corrosion On This Water Tap Looks Like A Map
Wait, I think I live near there! How'd a map of my town end up on your faucet? Someone call the North American Cartographer Association and ask.
The Dark Side Of The Moon Art Work Appeared On My Wall
Beautiful Cabbage Art
At First I Thought This Was Mosaic Tile, Until I Got Closer And Found It Has Been In The Sun Too Long
This Is What Happens When The Triple Foam Breaks At The Car Wash
The Aftermath From A Tornado That Passed Through Mayfield Kentucky - On Display
Art By Nature
The Opening In This Wall Looks Like A Piece Of Art Hanging On It
A Rock Created Bird Shaped Window Art On My Car
This Door Handle On A Frosty Morning
This Tree Stump Looks Like A Really Cool Skyline
This Belonged Here
Oranges Photographed Through The Glass Panes Of A Greenhouse
Icicle Shaped Like A Hummingbird
If You Zoom In It Looks Like A Turner Landscape
A Pen Exploded On Our Office Wall, So I Converted It Into A Modern Art Exhibit
My Daughter Dumped Out Her Acrylics In The Sink
It's in the sink! The question is, what does the intentional art look like?
The Guy At Walmart Looked At Me Like I Was Weird For Taking A Picture Of My Paint Before He Could Mix It
Deer Formed From An Accidental Drop Of Black Paint
When You Go To The Library And Accidentally End Up In Interstellar
A Clock In A Server Room Where I Work Is Accidental Modern Art
First Rain, Then Freezing Temperatures = Nature Art
Dust In A Wine Glass Creates A Galaxy
The Way This Car Froze
Work In A Paint Store, The Tint Came Out Looking Like A Volcano Erupting
Spilled Flour On Black Countertop = Cosmic Event
I Dropped Some Water, Opened The Table Extension To Dry And A City Landscape With Temples And Pinnacles Appeared
When You Fill The Soap With Remnants From Multiple Soap Bottles And Accidentally Make A Mana Potion
The Art On This Shovel After A Day Of Work
Paper Jammed In My Scanner And I Accidentally Created Abstract Art
I feel like it says something, but all I can make out is llIlElOlIl
This Smudge Looks Like A Mountain
These Natural Art By Fungus On My Mom's Kitchen Cupboard Wall
Accidental Art: Water, Chalk, LEGO Dried On A Table
Accidentally Took A Photo With My Phone Inside My Pocket, Created A Wonderful Effect
This Happened When I Went To Spread Margarine On My Toast
Our Campsite Matched Our Meal Cover Art
A Piece Of Art At The Office - Displays The Live Ticker Tape Headlines, Thrown Into The Trash
The Photo Taken Through My Bathroom Window Looks Like A Real Piece Of Art
I Spilled Some Coffee In My Lunch Box And The Stain It Created On The Cover Of My Books Looks As If It Is Part Of The Cover Art.
This Potato We Pulled From Our Garden Looks Like A Vegetable Art Piece
I see a person leaning on one arm and scratching the back of their neck with the other.
I Had Prepared A Few Agar Plates And Stored Them In A Poorly Sterilized Bag For A While. Now It Has Become Art
Coffee Stain Kitty
Thank you, thank you, I know I'm beautiful. If anyone else needs a model, I charge one mousie toy, two socks, and a can of tuna.
Enter The Quantum Realm (Jasmine Tea Left Overnight)
I Washed My Car And Was Treated To Some Interesting Patterns In The Frost The Next Morning
My Suction Packed Embroidery Thread Looks Like A Modern Art Piece
The Tube On My Expanding Foam Can Cracked, Resulting In This Mess. The Glove Is Irremovable
I Accidentally Painted A Silhouette Of A Forest In My Last Sip Of Coffee
This Is Horrible But With Natural Art
Accidental Art
Soon To Be Demolished Building Looks Like An Piece Of Art
Three Drop Offs At The Metra Station
The Way My Glass Door Shattered
My Coffee Break At San Francisco Moma Yesterday Turned Into Accidental Art
This Melted Exit Sign Which Looks Like An Art Project
Im Just Going To Leave This Here
Accidental Map On A Dish Soap Bottle In The Kitchen Of A Car Workshop
Drove Over A Pothole In My Driveway
I Cracked My Screen Protector And It Created A Beautiful Piece Of Landscape Art
Work Of Art Created By Small Overnight Leak Of Insulating Foam
This Onion In My Taco Looks Like Digital Art
Broken TV Screen Looking Eerily Beautiful
Dendritic Patterns In A Container After Removing A Block Of Frozen Blackberry Juice
Accidental Dirt Art
Left A Stick Of Glue In An Old Glass With Pencils, It Opened Over The Summer And Made Art
A Giant Poster Was Ripped Down At The Mall And Left This Behind
Cat Watching Sunrise
Used Wick On My Candle Looks Like A Forrest Scape
Sand Art
I Accidentally Spilled Some Gallium On A Pair Of Scissors And Made Modern Art
Took A Picture Of The Full Moon Out Of My Picture Window And Unwittingly Superimposed It Over The Mountain Painting Hanging On The Opposite Wall
The Lidless Eye Of Sauron
Vintage Shadow
This Door Was Left In The Rain Before It Was To Be Installed
My Friend Gave Me Her Senior Pics But I Accidentally Ran Them Through The Wash
The Mold On The Bottom Of This Old Foosball Table Looks Like A Work Of Art
I Threw Out Some Ground Cinnamon At Work And It Spontaneously Created Art And Extra Terrestrial Hieroglyphs
Unintentional Olive Oil Art
The Stirring Pattern Formed Over Time In My Coffee Cup
The Turntable In My Spray Booth
"Turn Turn Turn.... there is a time to every purpose under heaven" - Byrds
This Broken Television Looks Like A Piece Of Art
Kenneth Snelson Meets Barilla
Yesterday's Wine Glasses Were Soaking In The Kitchen O/N Because We Were Too Lazy To Wash Them. Today I Found This
A Chocolate Tart I Neglected To Remember I Made
The Scratched Paint On Our Bathroom Wall Looks Like A Face With A Big Pointy Nose
Grus brother with hair? Edit: his name is Dru
Load More Replies...The Swirls On This Log
Voila! Bowl Sans Pasta
Accidentally Impressionist Photo Thanks To High Zoom
Dirt Of The Balcony Carpet. Looks Like Roots
This Satisfying Imprint In My Carpet When I Moved My Wood End Table
A Woman With Cascading Curly Hair Over Shoulder
A Fish From A Chemical Reaction
Leaves On Concrete
I Was Making A Cad Drawing Of A Laser When The "Projected View" Tool Got Stuck. I Clicked Frantically To Resolve The Problem
This Towel My Wife Accidentally Bleached That Looks Like An Odd Couple Kissing In A 17th Century Painting
The Light Bouncing Off This Wheel Made An Interesting Pattern
Then: Stack Of 2x4s... Now: Art Piece
The Soap That I Clean Paintbrushes With Is Also Art
Owl Print! An Owl Has Pretty Clearly, Flown Into My Window. Leaving A Very Detailed Splat
I Put This Coaster Over My Berocca Glass To Stop It Spraying Everywhere When It Dissolved. I Call It “Dawning Of A Million Suns”
Accidental Psychedelic Art
Edgelands
This Display Of Notebooks At My Local Goodwill Looks Like Modern Art
A Ceramic Stone After A Long Day Of Knife Sharpening
Haven't Cleaned The Dryer Filter In A While. Been Alternating Lights And Darks
Accidentally Set Fire To Wood, But It Came Out Looking Ominous!
No Use Crying Over Spilt Coffee
When The Cherry Dropped
I guess you could say they *puts on sunglasses* "Popped their Cherry! YEAH!
Water Droplets Left By A Wet Dish Rack
Oil Leaking From The Bottom Of A Washing Machine = Gross Spin Art
The Reflection Of A Cloud On This Building Looks Like Pixel Art
Degraded Phone Case That Looks Like A Tree
Yesterday's Rainy Day Pics. What A Difference A Day Makes
This Is The Story Of A Good Snowfall On Wrought Iron
Ink Rags Should Be A Recognised Art Form. Or An Accidental, That's Cool, Too
Uncontrollably Leeking Spray Paint Can That Changed Everything
I'm going to draw some of these and frame them to hang on my gallery wall
I'm going to draw some of these and frame them to hang on my gallery wall