Everyone Wants To Be Naked And Famous: Gillian Wearing’s “Pin-Ups”

In the future, it is said, everyone will be naked and famous for fifteen minutes. (At least we think that's what they say; we might have gotten things mixed up a little.) While modern technology has helped to make that goal obtainable through things like consumer grade video cameras and cellphone cameras, artist Gillian Wearing is also doing her part through her "Pin-Ups" series of paintings, in which aspiring models who responded to her casting call were transformed into framed objects of desire.

As our friends at Sex-And-Blogs describe the project:

"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."

It's an interesting concept, though it might have been even more interesting if the subjects who responded to Wearing's ad didn't already look like pin-up subjects to begin with. As soon as an artist comes along who comes up with a way to transform those of us with paunches and less-than-perfect boobs into classic pin-up material, we'll be taking off our clothes quicker than you can say "Andy Warhol".

• A Pin-Up Like You (sex-and-blogs.com)
• Gillian Wearing: "Pin Ups" (@ Regen Projects, Los Angeles, through August 23, 2008)