The (Un)fairest Of Them All

Posted by Sydney, Design Production Associate

Throughout history, portraiture has typically aimed to make the sitter look his or her best (if not drastically, unrecognizably better). But I'm tired of the same old 'smile and look pretty' shtick. It's time to get ugly. And I know just the man who can make it happen: Reverend Aitor, a Toronto-based artist and member of the highly collaborative art collective Misanthrope Specialty Co. I met him this summer, at the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn, and his justly named "Unflattering Portraits" really nail this untapped market of illustrated insult. (Rev. Aitor's "sweetheart," Miss Becky Johnson of Sweetiepie Press, has been cataloguing the series of portraits here.) Charmed by Aitor's approach, I sent him an e-mail with some "cute" images of myself, and hoped for the worst.

The photos I sent in for reference.

The ugly portrait.

The two of us together.

He did not disappoint: I look gruesome, and I couldn't be happier. To commission your own Unflattering Portrait, e-mail revaitor@gmail.com. (And rest assured that you definitely look better in real life.) 

 

Comments

[becky]

what a lovely piece! i am the aforementioned sweetheart to the unflattering genius.

anyway, since this post, i have made the misanthrope specialty company a small yet growing webpage. it's still very bare bones. very.

here it is:
http://misanthrope.sweetiepiepress.com/

[melissa]

that is seriously great. i know so many people who would love this.

[pinkofperfection]

I find this absolutely and totally brilliant. Ugly on purpose is the new beautiful!