As I was writing about the painting “Market in Tunis” I noticed how my observations on the fairly abstract figures were… well, here’s what I wrote:
” …their garments were painted all mishy-mashy in amazing colors with only a minimal number of cues and hints to make them uniquely-nuanced humans, yet they were all powerfully idiosyncratic in this 1928 era that, in my mind, would more typically have been represented in painful attempts at illustration-y realism or other overly-mannered styles du jour.”
Like I said, as I was writing it, I recognized that I was describing a sort of pushing and pulling of the Arab subjects into and out of various degrees of humanized and cartoon states.
Some readers may have noticed that too. I won’t delve into this here, because this post (and that one) is (are) about something else.
I was recently asked if I have any more paintings in the “F____ Your Morals” series (2017) of which there were only ever two and they sold back then. Because the buyer was purchasing a 16 x 20″ painting from the “On Demand” (2022) series, I liked the idea of a 11 x 14″ “Morals” making a small collection of two. In the end, I painted 3 for the buyer to select from, which they did, but then, on the day of delivery, they decided to take the other two as well.
When I decided to paint the image, I looked into surrounding context and its origin, which you can do too. As with all political slogans, there’s always the possibility that original meanings will be overshadowed or obscured.
The concept originated in Tunisia (making it weirdly connected to the “Market in Tunis”) and it evidently first appeared on FaceBook in 2013, posted by Amina Tyler, presumably the woman in the photo. Evidently Amina was affiliated with the group Femen (founded in the Ukraine in 2008, now based in France) who used the concept and slogan in subsequent demonstrations which, because of the inclusion of Arab / Muslim references, was regarded by some as problematic.
I can’t find the photos I used for reference in 2017. I could have used a screenshot from a video. I painted the three new ones referring to the first two paintings. That’s how I tend to work anyway.
Googling images, I see evidence of demos in Europe and North America, and I see evidence of Muslim women holding up signs in opposition to Femen. Additionally, I see some art made using the slogan on various amounts of women’s bodies.
In recreating / inventing action at a demo, I feel compelled to say that I align myself with the overarching sentiment as it resonates with me and not specifically in relation to Amina Tyler, the Arab world or Femen, because I don’t want to look into Femen’s activities any more than I already have, frankly.
In fact, I think I originally only did the two paintings because I felt some of these issues swirling without wanting to anchor them in the kind of clarity I’m attempting today.
“Fuck Your Morals #5″ (11 x 14” acrylic on paper) 2023 / SOLD
“Fuck Your Morals #4″ (11 x 14” acrylic on paper) 2023 / SOLD
“Fuck Your Morals #3″ (11 x 14” acrylic on paper) 2023 / SOLD
“Fuck Your Morals #2″ (11 x 14” acrylic on canvas panel) 2017 / SOLD
“Fuck Your Morals” (11 x 14″ acrylic on canvas panel) 2017 / SOLD
this painting! I was thrilled when it was added to this Brooklyn collection, but now that I’m seeing it in its nifty white frame, with the Empire State Building in the background… omg… I’m having a bit of a moment over here!
Jean Smith 