Dirty Martini? Dirty Bastard!
- Samantha Jones, Sex and the City
The Story Behind the Artwork
Dirty Martini? Dirty Bastard. Inspired by an iconic Sex and the City moment, Samantha Jones walks up to a man who as disappointed her, throws a martini in his face and walks away with a smile. Men will disappoint you. What matters is how you respond. Samantha doesn’t internalise it, she doesn’t adjust herself or ask follow up questions. There is no need to explain to him why his actions were unacceptable. She simply leaves without an apology.
In that moment, the martini becomes a symbol of standards held high and boundaries drawn without explanation. This piece challenges this idea that being chosen is the goal. Women no longer want male validation. Self respect, regulated emotions and walking away with your dignity intact is the real flex.
You don’t always need closure. Sometimes you just need to throw the drink and go live your life knowing you’ll be just fine.
Visual elements
The martini is used as a visual symbol of control and elegance. It is rarely about the drink itself, people order martinis for how they look and what they suggest: a woman who knows her worth. The shape of the glass reinforces this. Its clean lines and deliberate fragility suggest intention. It signals standards being held high and mirrors the emotional stance of unwilling to be mishandled.
The Sex and the City reference sharpens this symbolism. When a man orders her drink for her, assuming familiarity, it gets thrown back at him, breaking the illusion that he knows her. It is a refusal of false intimacy and an assertion of boundaries without explanation. The olives introduce another layer of meaning: an acquired taste that reflects emotional maturity. Learning when to walk away, choosing yourself and not needing to justify it. It becomes a statement of autonomy.
Meaning and intent
The central theme of this piece relies on the refusal to exist as an accessory to a man's ego. it speaks to the moment a woman stops prioritising harmony at the expense of self respect, stops cushioning a man's mistakes and stops validating him. At its core the painting is about choosing yourself without explanation.
Samantha Jones represents sexual autonomy without shame, financial independence and emotional boundaries. When she walks away decisively after being disrespected it is a radical departure from mainstream narratives that encourage women to endure discomfort in order to be liked, chosen or understood. This work challenges the romanticisation of women's suffering especially over men. it reframes anger, refusal and withdrawal as legitimate responses to being disrespected.
Ultimately the painting of a martini glass represents a shift, capturing the point at which validation is no longer sought externally and self worth becomes something owned without negotiation.
Display recommendations
This piece becomes a quiet reminder of the moment you chose yourself without apology. It reflects the decision to stop negotiating your worth and walked away knowing you did the right thing. Let this piece be a daily reminder for you that continues to resonate long after it is hung on your wall.
If you recognise yourself in the meaning behind this piece and want to own it as a daily reminder to hang in your home, enquire here
