L’abus de plaisir 2013

Miss.Tic made this stencil somewhere, sometime, probably using spray paint. What strikes me is the way the yellow wall becomes this brazen statement's backdrop. The black paint is so flat, so absolute. It’s not trying to blend, it’s just declaring itself. The artist probably made the stencil by hand, because the edges are rough and you can see where the paint bleeds. It's like she’s not trying to hide anything, and that’s part of the whole thing. The phrase, "L’abus de plaisir est excellent pour la santé" which translates as "The abuse of pleasure is excellent for health" paired with the figure becomes this kind of ironic wink. You could argue it’s simplistic, but I think it's more about the attitude, the boldness of throwing something out there. It reminds me of Barbara Kruger, with its blend of image and text, daring you to question what you see and what you think you know. Ultimately, it's not about answers but about stirring things up.