That Was One of the Best Pieces of Ass

A dynamic and visually arresting oil on canvas, Retna layers his signature calligraphic script across the composition in cascading columns of cryptic, hieroglyphic-like letterforms rendered in rich, densely applied paint. The work pulses with the artist's signature fusion of ancient writing systems — drawing from Mayan glyphs, Arabic script, and Old English lettering — interwoven with bold color contrasts and a commanding sense of rhythm. The provocative title exists in tension with the near-sacred, ceremonial quality of the mark-making, blurring the line between the sacred and the profane.