
Jean-Michel Basquiat
A raw and visceral work by neo-expressionist icon Jean-Michel Basquiat, this piece channels his signature visual language of bold mark-making, fragmented text, and symbolic imagery rooted in Black identity, street culture, and social commentary. Basquiat's instinctive layering of paint and gestural strokes convey a sense of urgency and defiance, reflecting his journey from New York City graffiti artist to celebrated fine art figure. The work pulses with an electric tension between chaos and intention, embodying the artist's relentless interrogation of power, race, and humanity.
- Location
- Phillips, Salt Lake City, UT
- Spotted At
- Auction House · PhillipsView on map
🔨 Auction Lot
Evening & Day Editions
December 12, 2013
More by Jean Michel Basquiat
Artists in conversation

Cy Twombly
American · b. 1928

Twombly shares Basquiat's integration of fragmented text, gestural mark making, and layered scrawling that blurs the line between writing and painting, creating works that feel simultaneously raw and intellectually charged.

Keith Haring
American · b. 1958

A close contemporary of Basquiat, Haring emerged from the same New York street art scene and similarly used bold graphic imagery, vibrant colors, and symbolic visual language to deliver urgent social and cultural commentary.

Julian Schnabel
American · b. 1951

Schnabel is a central figure in the neo expressionist movement and like Basquiat employs aggressive layering, raw gestural strokes, and emotionally charged surfaces that convey defiance and psychological intensity.
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