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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Posted by Dick Van der Wurst

Having descended down into South Texas through the Hill Country one day long ago, Dick never claimed to be Texan, but his German heritage and love for tacos is something he shares with the inhabitants of the region. Having earned an MFA from Miami University, OH, he spent the worst years of his life up north, maturing artistically and refining an Iconoclasmatic Pop Art™ style shaped by his experiences as a recovering Catholic, cancer survivor and optimistic existentialist. He lives and works in his humble turquoise studio-home (Dick’s WurstHaus Art Shanty) near downtown San Antonio.