Jean-Michel Basquiat

Annina Nosei Gallery, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above

This work is in very good condition. It is executed on a cream wove paper, not laid down. It is glued to the mount at the 4 corners, at the centre of each edge and at the centre of the sheet. Some studio marks are visible throughout which is inherent to the artist's process. The side edges are deckled which is also inherent to the artist's process. The colours in the catalogue's illustration are accurate although the overall tonality of the paper is deeper. It does not convey all the details and the richness of the studio marks on the sheet.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Jean-Michel Basquiat's heritage, both in terms of his familial origins, and his origins as an artist were always and entirely on display in his works throughout his brief but vibrant career. He began creating art as a graffiti artist in New York scribbling punchy phrases along dilapidated buildings in the Lower East Side.  The use of language persisted into his "formal" art and as the child of both a Haitian father and Puerto Rican mother, Basquiat's language and cultural heritage were both mixed and incredibly complex.  In this work, Basquiat fuses these influences into an arresting image redolent of a crucifixion scene.  The Spanish text at the top right intimates pain, but also consolation and miracles – such miracles as might be performed by the central figure, crowned as he is in a ring of thorns.  To the left, the French word for "skies" resides below an image of the sacred heart but also, and disquietingly, the English words "cookie + pepsi."  In a telling and ironic fashion, Basquiat has juxtaposed his consumerist culture of the 80's against the religiosity of his own family, and of the Christian tradition of Western Art. As with the Trojan horse, referenced in the text to the lower right, nothing is as it might seem superficially.  His sketchy drawing style, one clearly informed by his days working on the Bowery, infuses the image with a downtown grittiness which serves to elevate and simplify the complexity of the traditions he attempts to reconcile in the work.