Interview Rob Ford portraitist Stephanie Kervin 

News of an oil painting of our glorious mayor selling on eBay (and Kijiji) for $5,555.55 has been catching across the Toronto civic-watch network. We first caught wind of it on Reddit. Then Torontoist picked up the story. It seems that, like Lenin, Stalin, and Elvis Presley before him, Rob Ford is entering the domain of kitsch appreciation. Soon, (or now, even) thirtysomething yupsters will be sporting Gravy Train T-shirts with corduroy blazers and hanging a $5,555.55 oil painting of the mayor above the mantle in their 650-square-foot converted loft space as if to say, “Hey, see? Eh? It’s a painting of the mayor. You get it, right?” 

In hopes of getting to the bottom of this oncoming tide of insufferable irony we’re forecasting—which can only end with us getting fed up with everyone, moving to the ’burbs, then voting for Rob Ford for real—we tracked down the masterpiece’s artist, OCAD grad and Torontonian Stephanie Kervin. Somewhat to our surprise, she was very earnest about the whole thing.

The A.V. Club: What gave you the idea to do a painting of Rob Ford? Why Rob Ford?

Stephanie Kervin: It was around the time of the last election. I was following it and listening to what Rob Ford was saying. And I was a little puzzled by his platform, and especially his promise to get rid of the five-cent bag tax. Everyone else was talking about transit and the arts and these other issues, and Rob Ford kept talking about the bag tax. So I though it’d be fun to do a painting of him with this little five-cent logo by his face.

AVC: It looks like a very proper portrait of Rob Ford, like the kind of thing you might even see in City Hall.

SK: I wanted to capture the thought of doing a professional portrait. It’s a tough job that the mayor has. I wasn’t attempting to make him look bad or anything. I wanted it to be very regal.

AVC: It’s an oil painting, right?

SK: Oil and acrylic, yes. 

AVC: Maybe we don’t know enough about how much paintings like this usually go for, but the going price of $5,555.55 on eBay—though clearly a bit jokey—seems like a lot. Is it?

SK: Well, I’m not the one selling it. I sold it to someone and now I think they’re selling it to raise some money for charity or something. This is all news to me. Everyone is contacting me about the painting, but I sold it a while a go.

AVC: When did you sell the painting?

SK: I had an art show at the Pilot Tavern a while back and this couple bought it. I can’t say for how much. 

AVC: It seems like you may have kicked off some sort of kitsch interest in Rob Ford paraphernalia.

SK: Maybe! I think people just want to get some giggles out of it. We love to hate on the people in the charge, and the people who run things. These people are so much a part of our everyday lives, and it’s what influences us, even when we don’t know it.

AVC: Do you have any other City Hall targets you like to paint portraits of?

SK: I’d like to do Karen Stintz, actually.