Enamel on board, 1981. Signed and dated lower left, framed. Approx: 16 x 30 inches. One of Von Dutch�s more dramatic paintings, The Master Predator, depicts a human skull with robotic arms and legs walking down a path towards the viewer. Claws instead of nails adorn the hands and feet of the skull figure, as two beady eyes with crosshairs stare back at the viewer. To the right and left of the skull appears a repetitive stylized cityscape. To the right of the skull is the word �Shitt� and on the left the words �Ice Cream.� It is no small or hidden mystery that Dutch had somewhat of an ego � why not? In fact, he was clearly born gifted with an enviable talent many could only dream of. He loved and hated the stories that circulated but inevitably fed off them, as changing them, especially later in life, was really a lost cause. Although many critics sight this painting as symbolic of Dutch�s ego, the depiction of himself in the painting is less then flattering by all accounts. The verbiage within Dutch�s painting is derived from something he had contrived during his days at the Brucker Warehouse in Santa Paula. The saying went, �I can turn shit into ice cream�, and regardless of perception, he proved this true in countless ways throughout his life. The painting illustrates this self-proclaimed ability with the skull figure at center turning the �Shitt� on his left into �Ice Cream� on its right. Without question, Dutch as the �Master Predator� could accomplish anything.