Your Dick Is Showing: Relativist Pop Art Painting by Moe Profane

Your Dick is Showing: Revealing Ignorance

Dick Van der Wurst on March 16, 2012

2011     •     48″ x 18″
acrylic, spray paint, fabric on panel

How is it that patriotic American zealots who get upset at burning flags WEAR so many flags themselves?

The United States Flag Code establishes advisory rules for display and care of the flag of the United States. It is Chapter 1 of Title 4 of the United States Code (4 U.S.C. § 1 et seq). This is a U.S. federal law, but there is no penalty for failure to comply with it. In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that punitive enforcement would conflict with the First Amendment right to freedom of speech. – Wikipedia

United States Code:

TITLE 4 — FLAG AND SEAL, SEAT OF GOVERNMENT, AND THE STATES
CHAPTER 1 — THE FLAG

section 8 respect for the flag, paragraph (d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free.

(f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.

(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.

So let it be noted…Literally wrapping yourself in flag isn’t necessarily a good thing. It is actually disrespectful…and if you do it, your dick might be showing.

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Brother Ass in a Hairshirt: Relativist Pop Art Painting by Moe Profane

Brother Ass in a Hairshirt: A Self Deprivation Sensation

Dick Van der Wurst on March 16, 2012

2011     •     48″ x 18″
acrylic, spray paint, fabric on panel

Here I explore the notion of spending this one life, denying your very nature and hating the very biology the very biology that makes us human. It highlights the approach St. Francis took to earthly pleasures:

St. Francis called the body ‘brother ass’. He kept this brother ass under perfect discipline and control. Sometimes he kept this brother ass without food and water and denied it some special food that it liked very much.

So why should one festoon their “brother ass” in a hairshirt?

A cilice was originally a garment or undergarment made of coarse cloth or animal hair (a hairshirt) worn close to the skin. It was used in some religious traditions to induce discomfort or pain as a sign of repentance and atonement.

The sole purpose of this self deprivation and torture was to fight one’s true humanity…that as any other organism with natural and purposeful instincts. I can only see it as unhealthy and sadly ridiculous for people to willingly participate into such misery.

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Lesser of Two Evils: Relativist Pop Art Painting by Moe Profane

Lesser of Two Evils: Suddenly Less Evil Sounds Pretty Good

Dick Van der Wurst on March 16, 2012

2011     •     20″ x 12″
acrylic, spray paint, fabric on panel

What happens when we dress up the lesser of two evils with the trappings of goodness? Nothing. It is still essentially evil and it makes the angels sad.

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Blue Martini (2011)

Blue Martini: A Startling Color to Consume

Dick Van der Wurst on March 16, 2012

2011     •     36″ x 24″
acrylic, spray paint, fabric on panel

div class=”portfolio_desc”>The coy young woman with her good and bad conscience on her shoulders pretends to not notice as they ply her with drink. The Ty-D-Bol blue martini is as much a jab at trendy martinis as it is on the people who market them to women.

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Appletini: Relativist Pop Art Painting by Moe Profane

Appletini: Reliable As Original Sin

Dick Van der Wurst on March 16, 2012

2011     •     36″ x 24″
acrylic, spray paint, fabric on panel

Woman’s role in the fall of man has long set the tone for her role in the patriarchal Abrahamic religions. The apple martini being poured by Eve’s good and bad consciences put power, and responsibility, back in Eve’s hands as the snake, the mythical embodiment of the forked tongue trickster who so easily manipulated poor Eve into ruining man’s place in paradise, no longer has a role in anything.

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Here's To Your Malaria: Relativist Pop Art Painting by Moe Profane

Here’s to Malaria: Unlock The Healing Power of Quinine

Dick Van der Wurst on March 15, 2012

2010     •     36″ x 24″
acrylic, spray paint, fabric on panel

Just a spoon full of liquor helps the medicine go down, and why not prevent that malaria with some quinine tonic water and gin? In India and other tropical regions, malaria was a persistent problem. In the 1700s it was discovered that quinine could be used to treat the disease, although the bitter taste was unpleasant. British officers in India in the early 19th century took to adding a mixture of water, sugar, lime and gin to the quinine in order to make the drink more palatable. The masculine suit, the facial hair, the concern over malaria shared with British imperialist soldiers all hearken to the expectation and hidden dangers of manly pursuits.

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Jesus Loves Me But He Can't Stand You: Relativist Pop Art Painting by Moe Profane

Jesus Loves Me But He Can’t Stand You: Exciting Sanctimony

Dick Van der Wurst on March 14, 2012

2010     •     22″ x 12″
acrylic, spray paint, fabric on panel

Everyone has their own personal religious notions and are able to contort their morals, rationalizing their good and bad actions while harshly judging those of others. It is really about alleviating guilt, lack of empathy and a lack of impulse control. Jesus loves me no matter what but he judges the shit our of your twisted ass.

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Heads I Win, Tails You Lose: Relativist Pop Art Painting by Moe Profane

Heads I Win, Tails you Lose: Winning Is Just That Easy

Dick Van der Wurst on March 13, 2012

2010     •     11″ x 16″
acrylic, spray paint, fabric on panel

The fish pattern in the fabric reminded me of Jesus, of course. He send an apostle fishing so that he may pull what he owed in taxes out of a fishes mouth. No word of if the coin turned up heads or tails, but if you’re convinced you’re righteous you can never lose.

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Ash Wednesday: Relativist Pop Art Painting by Moe Profane

Ash Wednesday: Famous Mardi Gras Party Has To End

Dick Van der Wurst on March 10, 2012

2009     •     48″ x 48″
acrylic, spray paint, fabric on panel

We see here, early in the morning of Ash Wednesday, the aftermath following the Fat Tuesday debauchery. A Christ figure is passed out on the New Orleans riverfront with both the unapologetic party animal and the rationalizing church-goer in similar states of disrepair.

This started with an invitation to make a piece or two for a New Orleans themed fundraiser at The Louisville Visual Arts Association (LVAA) Water Tower.

  • Ash Wednesday: Relativist Pop Art Sketch by Moe Profane
  • Ash Wednesday: Relativist Pop Art Painting Progress by Moe Profane

The idea put a man draped on a Riverwalk park bench like he’s been crucified, sleeping off the Marti Gras fun early into the next morning. An angel prays a devil nurses hang over above his head, each with beads AND ashes smudged on their heads. At his feet aren’t the same lamenting saints Jesus often is seen with. Instead, he is flanked by two fellow partiers sleeping off their binges.

It turned out a bit different but the best paintings always do.

This is supposed to remind one of the oft forgotten hypocrisy of the Mardi Gras celebration. Like most Christian traditions, it has its roots in paganism. Ancient Greek and Roman festivals involved sacrifice drunkenness and much of the fun stuff we associate with Mardi Gras. There were parades where images of gods are worshiped above the assembly. Pagan priests in the parade shower the crowds with spring flowers, herbs, grain and coins.

That what one would think would be apposed to Christian thought is now accepted as a blend of pagan rites, animism and religion. In an attempt to convert the masses the Catholic church, fixed Easter to the full moon of the spring equinox allowing the non-scriptural traditions of Lent and ash Wednesday to follow Mardi Gras. In a brilliant PR move, the early Church absorbed many of these festivals in hopes that it would convert the pagans.

My point isn’t to judge the hypocrisy of course, but to have fun with how little people actually understand their religion. They aren’t necessary hypocrites but ignorant fools slave to their instincts and animal desires as any heathen, but too self righteous in their so called “faith” to acknowledge it.

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Cities of The Dead: Relativist Pop Art Painting by Moe Profane

Cities of the Dead: Compare Katrina Houses to Mausoleums

Dick Van der Wurst on March 10, 2012

2008     •     48″ x 48″
acrylic, spray paint, paper on panel

The traditional New Orleans “Cities of the Dead” look across to a more modern version, the Katrina houses. Mirrored in the facades are the O’s and X’s with different if not equally mystical meanings.

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