Untitled (Skull)

Jean-Michel Basquiat was an innovative American artist born in 1960. He was part of a graffiti duo called SAMO in the lower east side of Manhattan in the 1970s. He burst onto the New York art scene in the 1980s, bringing graffiti to the art world. His work "frequently delved into issues of racism, poverty, inequity, and social injustice (Artnet)."

The untitled work shown here (part of the Broad Museum collection) is considered an early masterpiece by curator Dieter Buchhart: “It shows the human head and human anatomy...Don’t forget he was facing racism every day. He couldn’t even hail a cab. It was a very frightening time" (Artnet).

The painting can figure a kind of mask, referring to both a "modernist appropriation of African masks and employs the mask as a means of exploring identity" (Broad Museum).

Basquiat was known for finishing a paintings within a few days of intense work. Art critics point out that this painting in contrast took months to finish and was part of his debut art show.