American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat’s ‘untitled’ painting sells for $110.5 mn at auction

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Art World
By Kinjal Trivedi 

Trending news Art column: Jean-Michel Basquiat's ‘untitled’ painting sells for $110.5 mn Art World Kinjal Trivedi American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat's ‘untitled’ painting sells for $110.5 mn at auction Painting: untitled Artist: Jean-Michel Basquiat Year: 1982 Medium: oil stick and spray paint Period: Neo- Expressionism, Contemporary Art. Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent. Basquiat first achieved fame as part of SAMO, an informal graffiti duo who wrote enigmatic epigrams in the cultural hotbed of the Lower East Side and Manhattan during the late 1970s, where rap, punk and street art was heavily influenced by and correlated into early hip hop music culture. This painting is ‘untitled’ and has fetched much attention throughout the world. This painting has been forged from oil sticks and spray paint. It has a solid background and graffiti styled face with a thick outline of a skull. The outer edges of the background have faded white patches making the skull stand out even more. The crown is of white painted X and 0’s almost looking like a hat or a halo. The inside of the skull is busy with graphics making the eyes, nose and mouth stand apart individually. The ‘untitled’ painting had been expected to sell for $60 million. Although because of the socio economic structure of today's times and the sentimentality of the world around us, the investors or art collectors were drawn to this style of painting and the colors that were in contrast. This ‘untitled’ painting reflected the very emotion from the exterior and attracted many eyeballs, eventually selling for $110.5 million (around Rs8,41,40,77,750) by Sotheby’s in New York. Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa revealed himself to be the buyer. "I am happy to announce that I just won this masterpiece," Maezawa "When I first encountered this painting, I was struck with so much excitement and gratitude for my love of art. I want to share that experience with as many people as possible," he said. Maezawa also has blocked his space to go to the moon on the SpaceX.

Painting: untitled

Artist: Jean-Michel Basquiat

Year: 1982

Medium: oil stick and spray paint

Period: Neo- Expressionism, Contemporary Art.

Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent. Basquiat first achieved fame as part of SAMO, an informal graffiti duo who wrote enigmatic epigrams in the cultural hotbed of the Lower East Side and Manhattan during the late 1970s, where rap, punk and street art was heavily influenced by and correlated into early hip hop music culture. 

This painting is ‘untitled’ and has fetched much attention throughout the world.

This painting has been forged from oil sticks and spray paint. It has a solid background and graffiti styled face with a thick outline of a skull. The outer edges of the background have faded white patches making the skull stand out even more. The crown is of white painted X and 0’s almost looking like a hat or a halo. The inside of the skull is busy with graphics making the eyes, nose and mouth stand apart individually. 

The ‘untitled’ painting had been expected to sell for $60 million. Although because of the socio economic structure of today’s times and the sentimentality of the world around us, the investors or art collectors were drawn to this style of painting and the colors that were in contrast. This ‘untitled’ painting reflected the very emotion from the exterior and attracted many eyeballs, eventually selling for $110.5 million (around Rs8,41,40,77,750) by Sotheby’s in New York.

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa revealed himself to be the buyer. 

“I am happy to announce that I just won this masterpiece,” Maezawa

“When I first encountered this painting, I was struck with so much excitement and gratitude for my love of art. I want to share that experience with as many people as possible,” he said.

Maezawa also has blocked his space to go to the moon on the SpaceX.


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