In Today's modeling world, models are seen as flawless beings, as the media creates a filtered version of how they actually look with the help of photoshop.
The appearance of their skin conveyed is without blemish; thus an average individual who isn’t a model aims to have such type of skin and appearance, forgetting that it’s not as perfect as it appears in real term. However, American photographer Peter DeVito sees this act as a disturbing one and is on the quest to change it, using his work to subvert societal beauty standards and embrace the differences in everyone regardless of their imperfections.
Devito is a photographer based in New York who is well-known for his portraiture that defies what the media typically depicts as charming. He began utilizing art as a force for change while studying at University Cooper Union, where he learned from his teacher how to make meaningful and conscious art. In 2018, his work began to receive attention when his acne normalization images went viral on social media, garnering attention from numerous publications and celebrities.
He continued on this path, photographing people he felt were underrepresented in the media, particularly in the beauty and fashion industries. He proudly shoots each individual's natural beauty, displaying acne, redness, discoloration, vitiligo, stretch marks, wrinkles, birthmarks, freckles, and more, with no retouching or cosmetics applied to these models. He references Kendrick Lamar's song "Humble" in one of the self-portraits to express his dislike for Photoshop, attracting the notice of Cara Delevigne, a world-renowned model.
DeVito's practice resonates with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal addressing Reduced Inequalities by developing a series that anybody can relate to and depicting the diverse group of models that make up these industries.
“Representation is important“ remains the slogan for Peter Devito, as he continues to use his talents/skills in capturing models of various races, skin conditions, and features deemed unconventional by society.