When Vancouver Island artist Wendy Chartrand decided to paint a portrait of U.S. President Donald Trump, she used a new medium she thought “seemed appropriate” for the subject—horse manure. “I think that sometimes Canadians get tired of all the goings-on south of the border there, with their government,” Chartrand told CTV News. “It gets a bit frustrating, and this was kind of my way of expressing my feelings.” Living on a property with horses, the material she used was easy to find. After watering it down, mashing it up and straining it into a makeshift form of watercolour, she undertook what she acknowledges was a smelly process requiring her to wear a mask or work outdoors. The painting was set with a lacquer which prevents smudging and neutralizes the odor and ultimately titled “The Don of Dung.” The provocative piece was accepted into the Sooke Fine Arts Show and sold on the first day for $1,800. At the show’s opening, Chartrand said she was heartened to see the buzz the painting generated. “It’s just good to laugh at stuff sometimes. You can’t do anything about it often, so you might as well laugh,” she said. The Sooke Fine Arts Society, in a statement, said the unconventionally created portrait is part of a longstanding tradition of artists using their work to engage with what is happening in the world around them. “The Sooke Fine Arts Show has celebrated artistic excellence for 40 years and we’ve had many provocative pieces that reflected the social and political events of their time,” wrote executive director Jen Hayward. As for who bought it? Chartrand said she has no idea but would love to find out so she can thank them, adding she was both surprised and “amazed” at how quickly it sold. Both Chartrand and the society behind the show recognize that the painting has attracted outsized attention, and hope people will take the time to visit and enjoy all of the work by local artists. The Sooke Fine Arts Show runs until Aug. 3.
