The mildest of the photos by Miss Lakune.
WARNING: Today’s featured photos are quite graphic in nature. They could be disturbing to children and elderly aunts*, so I recommend you send them away before reading further.
*Note: I am referring to a particular aunt and not casting aspersions upon anyone else’s person or relatives. Please put away your machetes. Thank you.
Still here? Good. These are the super-creepy, very disturbing, vaguely Gaga-like self-portrait photos of mysterious Polish makeup artist/photographer Miss Lakune. I came upon them completely by accident, and while my search for her turned up plenty of photos, her Facebook, Behance, and DeviantArt accounts have all been closed. The trail goes completely cold two years ago. Maybe it’s the tone of the photos, but her internet disappearance feels like a sinister mystery. Either that or she had kids and grew out of it.
Her self portraits seem like elegant stills from horror movies that I’d likely watch peeking through my fingers. What a dark imagination this woman has (had?)! George Redhawk could have a field day with her work.
All photos the property of Miss Lakune.
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March 22, 2016 at 6:17 am
I find these very disturbing. I am hoping she didn’t have kids! lol
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March 22, 2016 at 6:20 am
Not enough therapy in the world!
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March 22, 2016 at 6:19 am
Brilliant artist, Donna.
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March 22, 2016 at 6:23 am
I’m glad you like her work. I was a little worried about posting something so extreme, but I really do find them beautiful (in a terrible way). I wasn’t wrong to be concerned. I got my first 1-star rating!
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March 22, 2016 at 4:18 pm
I am an artist myself Donna and I have learned not to “judge” based upon emotions. Her technical expertise is consummate and this is what I enjoy about this artist. I also find her work beautiful.
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March 22, 2016 at 4:46 pm
That’s an interesting idea, not judging art based upon emotions. I’m not an artist, so I’m afraid I’m all emotions and feelings and seat-of-the-pants. I can appreciate something that’s technically proficient, but unless it gets me in the brain or the heart or the gut, I am just not that interested.
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March 22, 2016 at 6:29 am
Interesting. Both her macabre creativity and the trail going cold.
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March 22, 2016 at 7:30 am
Yep. She’s a mystery woman.
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March 22, 2016 at 7:08 am
“Disturbing to children and elderly aunts.”
OK. I suppose I’m an elderly aunt. 68, if you must know. These pics are truly Gothick. But I won’t share on Facebook, because I think my nieces/nephews and my great-nieces/nephews, whose lives have been far more sheltered than than those of women of my generation ever were, might find them grotesque.
And please refrain from being, all in one breath, ageist, sexist, and nativitist (?) – I assume by aunts you mean women who’ve never given birth?
Donna, you know better.
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March 22, 2016 at 7:34 am
I was referring to my own elderly aunt (who gets the vapors) and to myself,though I identify more as grandma than aunt. Very sorry you took it personally. It was not intended the way you took it.
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March 22, 2016 at 7:57 am
I didn’t take it personally, but I used “me” as an example. And as a feminist, I admit to being prone to the vapours – particularly when I see the crap young women today seem OK with, and their buy-ins to various celeb-crap-cultures.
But, however throwaway the phrase of “children and elderly aunts” may have been, it still says something about attitudes to women. Whereas the photos themselves send an entirely different message about the restraints and psychological mutilations women face in order to be socially acceptable “women”,
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March 22, 2016 at 7:39 am
And “aunts who have never given birth”? Where on earth did you get that? Please try to read me with a more generous eye. I am none of the things of which you accuse me. I hoped my readers knew that already, but you make me wonder.
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March 22, 2016 at 8:19 am
Believe me, I do read you with a generous eye. And a respectful one. If I didn’t have a high opinion of you and your blog, I wouldn’t have challenged you about your wording, and said you knew better.
I didn’t say that you said aunts have never given birth – I was careful to use two question marks. But, why elderly aunts? Why not elderly mothers? Elderly grandmothers? Or fathers, of any age?
Just for the record, I also get cross when people talk about grandmothers as if they were the fount of all ignorance. Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers have seen far more of life than we have, and lived to tell the tale.
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March 22, 2016 at 8:58 am
I’m starting to see your point. Also, I think I may have overreacted. I was prepared to have to defend today’s choice of artist, but I was unprepared for someone to take exception to my little harmlessly-intended joke.
I have made this particular joke before. It is inspired by an aunt who gets on me if I post anything deeper or more disturbing than puppies and rainbows. I try to explain to her that everyone’s idea of beauty is different, and while I don’t spend much time dwelling in the dark, I can still appreciate its beauty.
But I guess I can see how my joke would come across as insulting to some. I won’t use it again, and I am sorry to have upset you. I know I’m a bit of a clod sometimes, and I know I don’t always get it right, but I would rather you say something if I’ve offended you. That’s never my intention, and I’d like to know when I step in something.
For the record, my grandmothers were progressive and funny and awesome!
Thank you for taking the time to talk this out with me rather than just writing me off.
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March 22, 2016 at 8:05 am
Oh Donna, you know I love your posts. But I can’t see this to be a beautiful thing. Each to his own.
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March 22, 2016 at 8:48 am
I’m sorry. I knew it wasn’t going to make everyone happy. Tomorrow is another day!
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March 22, 2016 at 8:16 am
You came upon them by accident? That’s some accident.
Seriously, though, while I cannot be totally comfortable with the pictures, I can see the artistic sentiment contained within. Disturbing, but evocative.
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March 22, 2016 at 8:48 am
That’s what I took away, too. It also feels to me like a send-up of the fashion industry, but we’ll never know if that was her intent.
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March 22, 2016 at 6:56 pm
Sadly true.
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March 22, 2016 at 8:36 am
She is (was?) a makeup artist? I look at these as her portfolio – these are amazing feats of artistry, and she is clearly one of the best at what she does (I’m using the present tense, because I so hope she is still out there creating. Maybe she decided to create makeup for Rom-Coms instead… And, speaking as a feminist, a (somewhat) elderly aunt, an artist, and a mom (who has never given birth, BTW), I have always appreciated your to tongue-in-cheek humor. Don’t change a thing. And don’t worry about one-star ratings. If you start to censor yourself for our sakes…. We’ll lose you. And, eventually, you’ll lose us. Stay Donna. It’s why we listen.
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March 22, 2016 at 9:04 am
Doll, the idea of her doing makeup for Rom-Coms made me spit out my coffee.
You’re sweet to say those things about my humor, but I know sometimes I need to be a bit more thoughtful. However, while I’m willing to consider criticism about my turn of phrase, I’m definitely not willing to compromise on my choice of artists. That’s non-negotiable. This is my little corner of the world, and it’s about what I find beautiful. I’m always happy to hear what other people think, but I will still post what speaks to me.
Thank you for the support. I am nuts about you, you know?
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March 22, 2016 at 8:51 am
As a teacher of stage makeup, I find the technical aspects really fascinating—while my students want to learn what I refer to as “advanced mask making”, I continually assert that with paint and imagination we can create far better work that allows the actor to emote and work through and with the makeup, not under it. As such, these are brilliant and really compelling. They may find their way into next week’s Burns Bruises and Scars lecture. Thanks for posting!
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March 22, 2016 at 9:07 am
Burns, bruises, and scars? Why didn’t I go to your school? That sounds fantastic! I’m completely with you on the subject of facial appliances. Why bother with silicone when you can create the same effect with color and artistry?
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March 22, 2016 at 9:11 am
Donna, you didn’t upset me. There may be some cross-cultural misunderstanding here. I’m from New Zealand, and the better we like someone, the more inclined we are to argue with him. Believe it, it’s a sign of affection!
Plus, a good friend of mine has recently started blogging about ageing, and I think she’s made me a whole lot more alert to how older women are portrayed anywhere/anyhow.
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March 22, 2016 at 9:22 am
Whoops! Why did I type “him” when I meant “them”? What a prat. Shame on me, and time I went to bed.
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March 22, 2016 at 9:31 am
I wondered about that. Have a good night!
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March 22, 2016 at 9:31 am
The better you like someone, the more inclined to argue with them! I love that! I’m not going to do it, but I love it!
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March 22, 2016 at 11:00 am
Creepy! I watch Criminal Minds, but that is creepy!
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March 22, 2016 at 1:14 pm
Love Criminal Minds! I want Garcia to be my best friend.
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March 22, 2016 at 5:00 pm
I totally agree.
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March 22, 2016 at 12:09 pm
I dig it. Consider me non-polarized.
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March 22, 2016 at 1:15 pm
Excellent! I wanted to say something clever about poles, but I think I left my brain in my other bag.
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March 22, 2016 at 1:27 pm
My wife is all about Derek Morgan & Dr. Spencer Reid.
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March 22, 2016 at 2:50 pm
Good choices!
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March 22, 2016 at 3:43 pm
“Beautiful (in a terrible way)” I love them although I can’t say why except the images are beautiful. In a terrible way. And you already said that.
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March 22, 2016 at 4:41 pm
We’re twinsies, you and I.
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March 22, 2016 at 7:11 pm
Edgy art, man (non-sexual between friends).
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March 22, 2016 at 7:32 pm
You’re awesome.
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March 22, 2016 at 7:18 pm
That should have read “non-sexual reference between friends”
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March 22, 2016 at 7:32 pm
Even better.
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March 24, 2016 at 12:58 pm
This whole post made me think of a Harry Potter quote…
“Because He Who Must Not Be Named did great things. Terrible, yes, but great.”
This artwork is fantastic, and very beautiful in it’s own obscure way.
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March 24, 2016 at 1:23 pm
That’s just how it made me feel, and the HP quote is perfect!
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May 8, 2017 at 1:12 pm
Frightening and shocking and amazing.
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May 8, 2017 at 1:18 pm
They really are.
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March 30, 2018 at 8:39 am
Reminds me of Matthew Barney
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March 30, 2018 at 10:23 am
Ha! You’re right!
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