The Development of Values in Unconventional Aesthetics: From Ancient Caves to Mutant Ape Yacht Club and DeGods NFTs

The non-conventional aesthetics of weirdness and ugliness have long been a provocative lens for exploring human values, challenging superficial judgments, and celebrating virtues like compassion, authenticity, and resilience. Ugliness and beauty are subjective terms and that is why ugliness shall rather be seen as weirdness at first sight and not the other way around. They shall rather be seen as something different and less conventional. In this way, bad prejudices are kept away and cannot distract us from pursuing reality in its vastness and having better interpretations of artistic information.

Rather than a mere absence of beauty, ugliness in art and culture has been a dynamic force, revealing profound truths about spirituality, morality, and society. Of course, ideas of ugliness and beauty are subjective and socio-cultural and artistic trends differ throughout history from time to time.

However, for the sake of having a macro-socially coherent, more valuable, sustainable and efficient explanation and interpretation of art, be it more or less objective, this article traces the evolution of ugliness and weirdness as a vehicle for positive values, beginning with ancient cave art, Gothic traditions, and cultural rituals featuring eerie masks and costumes, moving through the 18th-century fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Karl Rosenkranz’s The Aesthetic of Ugliness (1853), and culminating in modern literature, film, fashion, and the digital realm of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), with a focus on the deliberately grotesque Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC) and the deflationary DeGods collection. By emphasizing MAYC’s uglier aesthetic over its predecessor, Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), and including DeGods as a key example, we explore how ugliness fosters community, rebellion, and inclusivity in the digital age.

Ancient and Traditional Roots of Ugly Aesthetics

The embrace of ugliness and weirdness as a means of expressing profound truths began with humanity’s earliest artistic endeavors. In prehistoric cave art, such as the 40,000-year-old paintings in France’s Chauvet Cave or Spain’s Altamira, crude, distorted figures of animals and humans evoke a primal, spiritual energy. These works, with their rough lines and exaggerated forms, prioritized ritualistic power over classical beauty, likely serving to connect communities with the divine or ensure survival. Their “ugliness” conveyed awe and resilience, embodying positive values in harsh environments.

In medieval Europe, Gothic art advanced the aesthetic of ugliness as a vehicle for spiritual reflection. Gargoyles and grotesques on cathedrals like Notre-Dame de Paris, with their twisted faces and monstrous forms, warded off evil and reminded worshipers of human sinfulness and redemption. Their unsettling appearances contrasted with the divine beauty of sacred spaces, emphasizing humility and faith.

Cultural traditions worldwide have also embraced ugliness through eerie masks and costumes. In West African masquerade ceremonies, masks with bulging eyes and jagged teeth represent ancestral spirits, channeling wisdom and protection. Japan’s Noh theater uses grotesque Hannya masks to depict jealous demons, exploring emotions like rage and redemption. Mexico’s Day of the Dead features skeletal costumes and skull masks, celebrating life and familial bonds despite their macabre appearance. These traditions show ugliness fostering connection, reverence, and catharsis.

The Moral Core of Beauty and the Beast

The 18th-century fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, published in 1740 by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and popularized by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont in 1756, brought ugliness into a narrative framework. The Beast, grotesque and animalistic, initially terrifies Belle, but his kindness and loyalty reveal a noble heart. Belle’s journey from fear to love underscores the triumph of inner virtue over external appearance, challenging societal biases and establishing ugliness as a test of character—a motif that resonates in modern NFT aesthetics like MAYC and DeGods.

Rosenkranz and the Philosophy of Ugliness

In 1853, German philosopher Karl Rosenkranz published The Aesthetic of Ugliness (Ästhetik des Hässlichen), elevating ugliness to a legitimate aesthetic category. Rosenkranz argued that ugliness, when artfully employed, could evoke profound emotional and intellectual responses, highlighting beauty, truth, and morality through contrast. He pointed to Gothic grotesques and caricatures, where distorted forms critiqued societal flaws or revealed spiritual struggles. His ideas provided a foundation for artists to explore positive values within unconventional forms, informing the grotesque aesthetics of NFTs like MAYC and DeGods.

Ugliness as Redemption in 19th-Century Literature

The 19th century saw ugliness become a literary device for redemption. Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) presents Quasimodo, whose deformed appearance contrasts with his selfless love and courage, critiquing societal prejudice. Charles Dickens’s Miss Havisham in Great Expectations (1861) embodies ugliness as a reflection of suffering, inviting empathy. These works used ugliness to elevate virtues like compassion, building on Beauty and the Beast’s model.

The Grotesque in Modern Art and Film

In the 20th century, modernist art and cinema embraced ugliness as rebellion. Expressionist painters like Egon Schiele and Francis Bacon used distorted forms to convey emotional truth, aligning with Rosenkranz’s view of ugliness as authenticity. In film, Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) and The Shape of Water (2017) feature grotesque characters embodying love and resistance. Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands (1990) portrays Edward’s gothic appearance as a mark of individuality, echoing earlier narratives of redemption through ugliness.

Contemporary Culture: Ugliness as Authenticity

The 21st century has seen ugliness permeate popular culture, driven by a desire for authenticity. The “ugly fashion” trend—oversized clothing, clashing patterns—rejects conventional beauty, celebrating individuality and inclusiveness. The body positivity movement reframes “ugly” traits like scars or non-normative bodies as lived experience, with campaigns like #EffYourBeautyStandards promoting self-love. Billie Eilish’s early baggy, neon aesthetic uses “ugly” visuals to convey vulnerability, resonating with audiences valuing emotional truth.

Ugliness in Digital Culture: Memes and NFTs

The internet has democratized ugliness through memes and NFTs. Memes like “deep-fried” images or “cursed” content celebrate imperfection, fostering community through humor on platforms like X. NFTs, digital assets on a blockchain, have become a significant arena for ugliness, with collections like Mutant Ape Yacht Club and DeGods embracing grotesque or unconventional designs to critique art and culture markets and celebrate digital subcultures.

The Aesthetic of Ugliness in NFTs: Mutant Ape Yacht Club and DeGods

NFTs have sparked debates about artistic merit, with their often “ugly” aesthetics criticized as low-effort. Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC), launched in August 2021 by Yuga Labs, epitomizes this trend, deliberately amplifying the ugliness of its predecessor, Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC). While BAYC features 10,000 cartoonish apes with randomized traits, MAYC’s 20,000 NFTs are explicitly grotesque, described as “gruesome” and far less charming for some while the opposite for others. A mutant is born when a bored ape drinks a special potion. Similarly, DeGods, a deflationary collection of 10,000 “degenerates, punks, and misfits,” embraces a raw, unpolished aesthetic that aligns with the rebellious spirit of ugliness. These collections use ugliness to foster community and challenge traditional art norms, aligning with Rosenkranz’s philosophy. Below, we explore MAYC, DeGods, and other NFTs, with links to examples.

1. Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC)
   • Description: MAYC comprises up to 20,000 NFTs, with 10,000 minted in a public sale and 10,000 created by applying mutant serum (M1, M2, or M3) to Bored Apes. The mutants feature decayed flesh, oozing sores, and zombie-like traits, making them significantly uglier than BAYC’s cleaner apes. For example, Mutant Ape #8428, sold for 15.9 ETH ($20,827.25), showcases oozing eyes and grotesque features. M3 serums create rarer, more monstrous mutants, amplifying their appeal. A 2025 X post highlights their “freakish charm,” noting their draw for collectors embracing the grotesque.
   • Positive Values: MAYC’s ugliness fosters community and rebellion, offering access to the BAYC ecosystem at a lower price (historically ~12 ETH vs. BAYC’s 66.9 ETH in 2022), democratizing participation. Events like the “Fuck It Mutant Saturday Party” in Miami (2023) and airdrops of ApeCoin (2,042 $APE per Mutant Ape) strengthen bonds. The mutants’ grotesque aesthetic critiques art and its boundaries and constraints of expression, celebrating digital subcultures and irony, with $1 billion in sales reflecting authenticity’s value.
   • Example: View on OpenSea.
   • Cultural Impact: MAYC’s ugliness has driven its cultural dominance, with trading volume surging 500% in December 2021, often outpacing BAYC. Its grotesque aesthetic resonates as a bold statement against polished art, super-symmetrical aesthetics and perfectionism.
2. DeGods
   • Description: Launched in 2021 on the Solana blockchain, DeGods is a deflationary collection of 10,000 NFTs depicting “degenerates, punks, and misfits.” Their aesthetic—featuring crude, cartoonish figures with mismatched accessories like cigarettes, mohawks, or bloodshot eyes—embraces ugliness as a badge of rebellion. Unlike MAYC’s oozing mutants, DeGods leans into a punk-inspired, intentionally unrefined look, evoking early internet meme culture. The deflationary mechanism, where NFTs can be “burned” for upgrades or rewards, adds scarcity, enhancing their “ugly” allure. A 2025 X post praises their “grimy, misfit vibe” as a draw for collectors.
   • Positive Values: DeGods’ ugliness critiques societal obsession with perfection, fostering a community of outsiders who value authenticity. The project’s “Paper Hands” fee (33.3% tax on quick sales) and burning mechanism encourage loyalty, mirroring MAYC’s community focus. Their punk aesthetic aligns with Rosenkranz’s view of ugliness as a moral reflection, celebrating nonconformity.
   • Example: View on Magic Eden.
   • Cultural Impact: DeGods achieved a floor price of 400 SOL ($60,000) in 2022, with their move to Ethereum in 2023 amplifying their reach. Their ugly, punk aesthetic has made them a symbol of digital rebellion, though MAYC’s grotesque scale remains unmatched.
3. CryptoPunks
   • Description: Launched in 2017, CryptoPunks’ 10,000 pixelated, 8-bit characters are often deemed “ugly” for their low-resolution simplicity and punk vibe, yet they evoke nostalgia for early internet art.
   • Positive Values: Their ugliness challenges art’s need for visual appeal, emphasizing authenticity, simplicity, minimalism and innovation, similar to MAYC and DeGods’ rebellion.
   • Example: Explore on Larva Labs.
   • Cultural Impact: Selling for millions, CryptoPunks’ aesthetic is a status symbol, but MAYC’s overt grotesqueness and DeGods’ punk edge are more extreme.
4. DeadFellaz
   • Description: Launched in 2021, DeadFellaz’s 10,000 zombie-themed NFTs feature decaying flesh and hollow eyes, drawing from gothic horror. Their vibrant colors soften their ugliness compared to MAYC’s oozing mutants or DeGods’ gritty punks.
   • Positive Values: DeadFellaz’s ugliness celebrates individuality and inclusivity, with initiatives like “Infected Fellaz” fostering community, echoing MAYC and DeGods’ ethos.
   • Example: View on OpenSea.
   • Cultural Impact: With a 2022 floor price of 1.5 ETH ($4,500), DeadFellaz captivates, but MAYC’s bolder ugliness and DeGods’ deflationary model have greater cultural weight.

The Significance of MAYC and DeGods’ Uglier Aesthetics

MAYC’s grotesque aesthetic, with its oozing sores and zombie-like mutants, is a deliberate evolution from BAYC’s cleaner apes, designed to push boundaries. DeGods complements this with a punk-inspired, unpolished look, embracing ugliness as a symbol of nonconformity. Both align with Rosenkranz’s view of ugliness as a critique of societal norms, challenging traditional art markets’ elitism. As a Phemex Academy article notes, “The uglier, the better,” highlighting how MAYC’s grotesque designs and DeGods’ gritty misfits distinguish them from BAYC’s cartoonishness.

• Community and Accessibility: MAYC’s lower price and events like ApeFest democratize the Yacht Club ecosystem, while DeGods’ burning mechanism and community initiatives foster loyalty. Both use ugliness to build inclusive digital subcultures, akin to ancient ritual masks uniting communities.
• Rebellion Against Elitism: MAYC’s mutants and DeGods’ punks critique art market gatekeeping, celebrating irony and authenticity. MAYC’s $96 million first-hour sales and DeGods’ 400 SOL floor price prove ugliness drives value.
• Authenticity and Innovation: MAYC’s mutant serum system and DeGods’ deflationary model introduce novel mechanics, where ugliness signifies rarity and creativity. M3 serums in MAYC and DeGods’ burnable NFTs enhance their grotesque allure.

Some say that MAYC and DeGods’ ugliness reflects laziness or profit-driven design, with environmental concerns and scams tainting NFTs. A 2025 Reddit thread on r/Buttcoin mocks their “shitty” look, claiming artists avoid NFTs. Yet, as art critic J.J. Charlesworth argues, dismissing NFTs as “ugly” misses their role as collectibles rooted in digital culture, valuing community and rarity. MAYC’s oozing mutants and DeGods’ grimy punks, like Gothic grotesques or Hannya masks, use ugliness to provoke and unite, embodying positive values.

Conclusion: The Enduring Power of Ugliness

From the primal figures of cave art, the grotesque guardians of Gothic cathedrals, and the eerie masks of cultural rituals to the redemptive love of Beauty and the Beast, Rosenkranz’s insights, the nobility of Quasimodo, del Toro’s tender monsters, modern fashion’s defiance, and the grotesque collectibles of Mutant Ape Yacht Club and DeGods, ugliness and unique weirdness has consistently served as a vehicle for positive values. MAYC’s oozing mutants, uglier than BAYC’s apes, and DeGods’ punk misfits epitomize this tradition, using grotesque aesthetics to foster community, critique art markets, and celebrate digital authenticity. In a world obsessed with perfection, the embrace of the ugly and unique weirdness —whether in ancient caves or crypto art—reminds us that true virtue lies in what is seemingly weird at first sight, that wonderfully unconventional aspect of living life.