NSW artist James King stands behind ‘Trump is a c**t’ painting

A NSW artist’s painting has turned heads for featuring a profanity directed at Donald Trump after it was placed in the window of a Potts Point art gallery.

Donald Trump has had mixed reviews for the past four years but a NSW artist who let his feelings known by referring to the outgoing US president as a “c...’’ in a shop window display has come under police attention.

James King’s painting The Truth Tellers turned heads for featuring the profanity after it was placed in the window of art gallery Mr Minty’s at Potts Point in Sydney’s east.

The 2.8sq/m artwork, which has a retail price of $14,500,  depicts a group of schoolchildren holding up protest signs for various political issues, including one red-haired girl toting a sign with the expletive.

The offensive painting which was on full display in a Potts Point art gallery window until it was taken down on Monday. Picture: Richard Dobson

Mr King, an artist from the Southern Highlands, told The Daily Telegraph he created the artwork to express “how he felt about the world and stood by his choice to include the word “c...”, inspired by a viral photo of comedian Jane Godley welcoming Trump to a Scottish golf course in 2016.

“US politics seems to affect the world, what happens over here affects us directly … the world’s in a terrible state, I feel very strongly about it and not enough is being done,” Mr King said.

“(Ms Godley) protesting by herself with the sign reading “Trump is a c...” inspired me to include it, just like the kids in the painting were inspired by Greta Thunberg … I just wanted to create a call to action.”

The painting in the window of an art gallery on Macleay Street in Potts Point. Picture: Richard Dobson

Picture: Richard Dobson

Other phrases featured in the artwork include “planet over profit”, “fossil fools” and “stop global warming”.

The artwork was on display until Monday when it was taken down from the window after NSW Police began making inquiries about the offensive language in  the  display.

Under the NSW Crimes Act, a person who uses offensive language in or near a public place can be fined up to $660.

Mr King agreed the painting had caused “quite a stir’’ but said  he “didn’t mean to upset anyone” and  had had an “overwhelmingly positive reception”.

The painting, which caused “quite a stir” in the art community, is reportedly in the midst of a bidding war between Australian and American buyers.