Osama – The biggest arsehole on the planet

The story behind Osama – the biggest arsehole on the planet

This painting was made in 2002, in the immediate aftermath of September 11. The subject requires no introduction.

The position is straightforward: any person or institution that uses religion as justification for imposing its values on others by force or violence deserves contempt, regardless of which religion it is. Bin Laden was the most visible example of that at the time. The title leaves no room for ambiguity.

Two deliberate choices were made. The words were added to the painting itself — The Biggest Arsehole on the Planet — because there was no interest in subtlety. The second choice was to not take particular care with the likeness. The source photograph lacked detail, especially in the beard, but more importantly it felt irrelevant. By this point the photorealism had become a vehicle for ideas rather than an end in itself. The jacket and the cushion received more attention than the face. That felt appropriate.

For the record — the execution was wrong. The correct punishment would have been trial, conviction, and the remainder of his life in complete isolation from all human contact. That would have been a far more fitting end.

Source image of realism painting Osama – the biggest arsehole on the planet