For this work, Basquiat produced twenty-eight original drawings and mounted them on canvas in a grid-like arrangement. Layering text and image in a manner reminiscent of graffiti and the free association of his encyclopedic notebook subjects, he created the effect of book pages laid out in a sequence. Visible through an abstractly rendered head of an African American male, these language-rich drawings combine scientific diagrams, pictographic notions, bits of world history, and enigmatic references such as the OBSERVATORY FROM THE JAMES DEAN MOVIE and GORILLA TELEPATHY.
Jean-Michel Basquiat (American, 1960–1988). Untitled, 1982–83. Oilstick, colored pencil, crayon, and gouache on paper mounted on canvas, 96 x 126 in. (243.8 x 320 cm). Collection of Fred Hoffman. Copyright © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat, all rights reserved. Licensed by Artestar, New York
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