If Jean-Michel Basquiat were alive today, he would be 54 years old; a respective artist sitting comfortably in mid-career, perhaps forgotten, perhaps looking forward to a retrospective or two. Would he have developed his early style, or would he still be producing impulsive, volatile drawings and paintings he did in the 1980s? Who could predict? Basquiat dominated the New York art game in the early 1980s, however, in 1988, leaving more than 1,000 reputable paintings behind him, he overdosed on heroin. The young artist will never be more than 27.
The artist’s eternal youth is reflected in the anger and energy of his drawings. This goes a long way to explain the overwhelming queues for the Jean-Michel Show at Gagosian Gallery, New York, New York. With more than 100 pieces of artwork, it is the most significant showcase of Basquiat’s work in the United States.. Some of the art, including, Per Capita (1981) and St. Joe Surrounded by Snakes, look magnificent after 30 years. Others look rather decrepit. Needless to say, underlying these pieces lie an …show more content…
The haloed boxer appears once again, surrounded by a gang of greedy trainers and managers. They are projected by menacing floating faces behind Joe Louis, eventually leave the boxer financially unstable by abusing their power for fame and fortune. The halo that is above the anonymous boxer in Per Capita also sits atop Joe Louis’ head in this painting, and similarly on the anonymous prisoner in one of Basquiat’s unknown drawings. This is rather interesting as Christian iconography refers to the halo as a symbol of piety and more importantly a martyred or sanctified status. One can conjecture that these black figures appear in Basquiat’s paintings so commonly, besides being saints in his own mind, have martyred themselves or otherwise been demolished by the sins of others. As shown in these two paintings, the sin is
The artist’s eternal youth is reflected in the anger and energy of his drawings. This goes a long way to explain the overwhelming queues for the Jean-Michel Show at Gagosian Gallery, New York, New York. With more than 100 pieces of artwork, it is the most significant showcase of Basquiat’s work in the United States.. Some of the art, including, Per Capita (1981) and St. Joe Surrounded by Snakes, look magnificent after 30 years. Others look rather decrepit. Needless to say, underlying these pieces lie an …show more content…
The haloed boxer appears once again, surrounded by a gang of greedy trainers and managers. They are projected by menacing floating faces behind Joe Louis, eventually leave the boxer financially unstable by abusing their power for fame and fortune. The halo that is above the anonymous boxer in Per Capita also sits atop Joe Louis’ head in this painting, and similarly on the anonymous prisoner in one of Basquiat’s unknown drawings. This is rather interesting as Christian iconography refers to the halo as a symbol of piety and more importantly a martyred or sanctified status. One can conjecture that these black figures appear in Basquiat’s paintings so commonly, besides being saints in his own mind, have martyred themselves or otherwise been demolished by the sins of others. As shown in these two paintings, the sin is