
Die by the Sword
Dan Colen's *Die by the Sword* is a visceral and provocative work that embodies the artist's signature exploration of destruction, excess, and the rawness of human experience. Colen's practice often blurs the line between creation and chaos, and this piece reflects his ongoing fascination with the tension between violence and beauty. The work carries an air of defiant energy, inviting viewers to confront themes of consequence and the cyclical nature of aggression.
- Location
- Phillips, Salt Lake City, UT
- Spotted At
- Auction House · PhillipsView on map
🔨 Auction Lot
Contemporary Art Evening Sale
October 15, 2014
More by Dan Colen
Artists in conversation

Jean-Michel Basquiat
American · b. 1960

Basquiat's raw, visceral imagery rooted in themes of violence, aggression, and urban excess shares a deeply kindred energy with Colen's work. His figurative mixed media canvases similarly blur the boundary between destruction and beauty while confronting cycles of power and consequence.

Dash Snow
American · b. 1981

Snow's provocative and defiant art practice embraced chaos, excess, and the rawness of human experience in ways that directly parallel Colen's sensibility, and the two artists were close collaborators. His work similarly weaponizes transgression and dark energy as aesthetic and conceptual forces.

Chris Ofili
British · b. 1968

Ofili's dramatically charged figurative works blend provocative subject matter with richly layered mixed media techniques, creating tension between beauty and something more unsettling or violent beneath the surface. His exploration of defiant energy and cultural consequence resonates strongly with the mood of Colen's piece.
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