Combining collage, drips, gestural scrawls, stick figures, symbols, and letters, Jean-Michel Basquiat’s The Ruffians combines quintessential techniques and messages of the artist’s oeuvre. The work’s three central figures reference both the father figure and Black heroism, common themes in the artist’s practice. Thus, the result is autobiographical, yet it also functions as a comment on the socio-economic injustices, inner and outer worlds, and the many identities the artist encountered in New York City. The symbols and figures that blanket the work are rendered atop layers of paper, reminiscent of the posters the artist would have painted on during his time as a graffiti artist. The Ruffians, created at the height of the artist’s production, is an extraordinary example of the artist’s pioneering approach.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, The Ruffians, 1982, is presented by Van de Weghe (New York) in the Galleries sector at Art Basel Miami Beach.
Produced by Drone Genius
Directed by Antony Keane
Edited by Jorge Torres
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