Everything you know about sex is true.

A pin-up like you

Gillian Wearing: Rowena, 2008

Gillian Wearing's "Pin-Ups" paintings were made in collaboration with science fiction illustrator and fantasy artist, Jim Burns. Wearing advertised on the Internet for non-professional models who wanted to be pin-ups. Both women and men responded to the ad and provided images and a brief explanation of their aspiration to be depicted in this idealized form. Select respondents were made-over with the help of hair stylists and make-up artists, and photographed in a glamour-style photo shoot. The resulting photos were also digitally retouched to help achieve the desired visual effect. Wearing then had the manipulated photographs transformed into unique—almost nostalgic—painted portraits. The original snapshots and statements from the models can be found behind the paintings to reveal not only the visual transformation, but also the psychology behind the desire to be transformed.

On view until August 23 at Regen Projects in Los Angeles.

Via artkrush.