Basquiat Jean-Michel Basquiat One of Term Paper

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document

Total Length: 1947 words ( 6 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 4

Page 1 of 6



In the second painting, it is the human figure that takes the foreground - or rather, a the human figure as death, staring out at us in a distraught manner, reeking of death yet simultaneously posing in a gesture that is full of life. It is Basquiat's unique, rhythmic style that makes this painting so special. I would even go so far as to argue that, rather than considering Basquiat's style from the vantage point of earlier movements (i.e. Abstract Expressionism and graffiti art), it is perhaps more appropriate to locate those qualities that make a Basquiat. His signature style seems to be based largely on the interplay of lines, with smudges and stains of paint occasionally smearing the background, as in this second painting. But Basquiat's painting refutes the "all over" gesturality of Pollock or the contrived messiness of de Kooning in his efforts at balancing received images (from culture) and his natural inclinations to doodle and evoke ambiguous messages aimed at ultimately disrupting our sense of security. The world that Basquiat's star rose in, 1980s America, was an increasingly uncertain place.

Stuck Writing Your "Basquiat Jean-Michel Basquiat One Of" Term Paper?

View All Our Example Basquiat Jean-Michel Basquiat One of Term Paper

Have A Custom Example Essay Written

What is more, much has been written about Basquiat's own uncertainties as an artist and a human being. He came of age during a time when America had still not come to terms with its racist past, and the star treatment that he was given in the market-driven art world of the '80s in New York was very much as an exoticized outsider - despite the fact that he came from a relatively privileged background. It was most likely the uncertainties and insecurities that Basquiat faced head-on in both his life and his work that ultimately did him in. Dead at the age of 27, the real tragedy of Basquiat's existence is that we do now know what kind of artist he might have blossomed into. Looking at what is left, one feels very strongly that the thematic conflicts constantly evoked in his work might have been resolved had he lived - and continued painting - a little longer......

Show More ⇣

     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Basquiat Jean-Michel Basquiat One Of" (2007, November 12) Retrieved June 4, 2026, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/basquiat-jean-michel-basquiat-one-34423

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Basquiat Jean-Michel Basquiat One Of" 12 November 2007. Web.4 June. 2026. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/basquiat-jean-michel-basquiat-one-34423>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Basquiat Jean-Michel Basquiat One Of", 12 November 2007, Accessed.4 June. 2026,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/basquiat-jean-michel-basquiat-one-34423
   

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document
order custom essay example