Art, or pathetic grab for publicity?

Artwork depicting Charles Saatchi throttling his ex-wife Nigella Lawson being offered for sale on his website. Artist is D Udaiyan. Source: Supplied

LONG after the one — time ad man, renowned art collector and confirmed throttler Charles Saatchi gave his then-wife Nigel Lawson one his most memorable public performances, the simply horrendous incident is still making news.

'Artworks' — and that word is even demeaned in this context — have made their way onto, surprise, surprise, the Saatchi Art website — an American website with ties to the London gallery — 12 months after the London restaurant incident where Saatchi was photographed 'throttling' his globally renowned wife.

Of course, I'd personally love an arty piece of domestic violence/physical abuse/wedded bullying — priced from AU$266 to AU$32,000 — hanging in my little inner-city dwelling.

What a talking point! Just imagine the hours of viewing pleasure.

What a complete toss the whole notion is.

Art, or just poor taste? Source: Supplied

Saatchi was cautioned for assault last June after the appalling restaurant display. The pair went on to divorce seven weeks later.

Later that year, of course, the once-wedded pair were back in the news over a fraud case 'starring' former personal assistants. That time around, there were allegations of Lawson's drug use and Saatchi's controlling behaviour.

But back to these heartfelt and simply sensational artworks.

Wouldn't you want them to remember the good times? The great times? The very happy times of a marriage that came to an end when pictures of the couple were printed came to light after a mega physical dispute in the smart and celebrity-frequented London restaurant, Scotts?

Sure, sure, some members of the art-eratti will be claiming that pulling them down would be censorship.

They'll say that they are an exquisite symbol of free artistic speech; of 'real' life; that they are not inciting hatred but are representing love having gone seriously wrong. But to me, they are none of the above. These are two people who are still alive and both are being represented in a revolting light. Again.

Nigella Lawson's domestic goddess image has had to weather a lot of controversy. Picture: Justin Lloyd Source: Supplied

To actually see these drawings and paintings re-enacting the Saatchi-Lawson restaurant calamity is pure tastelessness.

Would anyone — including the subjects involved — really shell out $10000 for a work of a smug-looking Saatchi with a blatantly frightened Nigella, set against a jaunty, multi-hued, van Gogh-inspired background?

The photographs in the London restaurant were obviously the straw that broke the camel's back _ and the pair's marriage. And these artworks, which were painted and drawn not long after the event, shouldn't be glorified. They should be garbaged.

A report in the UK's Independent singles out certain pieces — 'Art Collector Throttling Cook' and 'Last Course', and one of the artists, Darren Udaiyan (who concocted the van Gogh inspired piece) draws an analogy that Saatchi 'throttling his wife' is akin to him 'squeezing the art market'.