Phil Spector
 
Normally I’m pretty turned off by art depicting violent criminals, particularly when their crime garnered them some sort of sensational fame. It’s not as if I’m squeamish and I certainly don’t overvalue “good taste” it’s just that so much of it screams “corny goth kid.” These beautiful illustrations from Canadian artist Sean Lewis obviously evade that trope. His paintings on wood panels are dreamy and lovely.

The subjects of Lewis’ outlaw series actually have very little to do one another besides some level of infamy for crime. Andrea Yates who drowned her five children in the bathtub is in the same collection as Pablo Escobar, Ku Klux Klan founder George Gordon and Phil Spector. In fact, depending on one’s definition of the word it could be argued that not all of Lewis’ subjects are “violent.” Black Bart for example brandished a gun in his Wells Fargo Robberies, but never actually hurt anyone and was famous for his gentlemanly conduct. Wells Fargo actually ruined his business by cutting off water to his mining operation after he refused to sell. He only robbed stage coaches from Wells Fargo and only took money from their banks.
 

Aileen Wuornos
 

Andrea Yates
 

Black Bart
 

Ed Gein
 

George Gordon
 

John Torrio
 

Kray Twins
 

Pablo Escobar
 

Unabomber
 
Via Juxtapoz