Jim Crow (Basquiat)

Last updated
Jim Crow
Jim-crow-basquiat-1986.jpg
Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
Year1986
MediumAcrylic and grease pencil on wood
Movement Neo-expressionism
Dimensions205.3 cm× 244 cm(80.8 in× 96 in)
LocationPrivate collection

Jim Crow is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1986. In October 2017, the anti-segregation painting sold for $17.7 million at Christie's Post-War & Contemporary art auction in Paris, becoming the most expensive artwork by Basquiat sold in France. [1]

Contents

Analysis

The artwork is titled after Jim Crow laws, which enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States. [2] The phrase "JIM CROW" is painted at the top center of the painting. Directly below across the whitewashed wooden slats is an almost featureless face of a black figure with glowing red eyes. This head sits atop of a withered body, which dissolves into a skeletal arrangement of ribs and limbs. Behind the figure is the Mississippi River, a natural barrier that divides the eastern states from the rest of the continental United States. As if to indicate the importance of this natural phenomenon, Basquiat spelled out "MISSISSIPPI" across the river in large golden letters. It is also written repeatedly over a dozen times throughout the painting in green. There are other rivers mentioned on the left of the figure such as the Hudson River, Ohio River and Thames River, but the repetition of Mississippi emphasizes its importance in American history.

The state of Mississippi was particularly resistant to the struggle for racial equality. [3] Historian Charles Payne recounted that the state had the highest rate of lynchings, recording 539 between "the end of Reconstruction and the modern civil rights era." [4] Although the state had fewer Jim Crow laws, historian Neil McMillen described Mississippi as the most "racially restrictive state" because the limits of freedom for African Americans were defined almost the moment slaves were emancipated. [5] "Where popular convention and white sensibilities governed virtually every phase of interracial contact, there was little cause legally to separate black from white," McMillen explained. "White Supremacy was based on oral or traditional discrimination without legal sanction. Negroes accepted these traditions as a way of life and as a method of survival." [5]

Exhibitions

Jim Crow has been exhibited at the following art institutions:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Michel Basquiat</span> American artist (1960–1988)

Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist who rose to success during the 1980s as part of the Neo-expressionism movement.

<i>A Panel of Experts</i> 1982 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat

A Panel of Experts is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1982. The artwork in part is Basquiat's depiction of a catfight between two of his lovers, Suzanne Mallouk and singer Madonna.

<i>Untitled</i> (1982 Basquiat skull painting) Painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat

Untitled is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1982. The artwork, which depicts a skull, is among the most expensive paintings ever. In May 2017, it sold for $110.5 million at Sotheby's, the highest price ever paid at auction for artwork by an American artist in a public sale. That record was surpassed by Shot Marilyns by Andy Warhol, which sold for $195 million in May 2022.

<i>La Hara</i> 1981 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat

La Hara is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1981. The artwork, which depicts a skeletal police officer, sold for $35 million at Christie's in May 2017.

<i>Untitled</i> (1982 Basquiat devil painting) 1982 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat

Untitled is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1982. The artwork was sold at Christie's for $57.3 million in May 2016. At the time, that was the record for Basquiat's most expensive painting. In 2022, it was sold for $85 million at Phillips, becoming Basquiat's third highest auction sale and fourth most expensive painting.

<i>El Gran Espectaculo (The Nile)</i> 1983 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat

El Gran Espectaculo (The Nile) also known as Untitled (History of the Black People), is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1983. The artwork references Ancient Egypt and Southern United States culture to critique the Western society's understanding of history and its forgetfulness towards slavery.

Undiscovered Genius of the Mississippi Delta is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1983. Spanning over 15 feet, the artwork is an assessment of select African American history. The painting sold for $23.7 million at Sotheby's contemporary art evening auction in May 2014.

<i>Dos Cabezas</i> 1982 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat

Dos Cabezas is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1982. The double portrait resulted from Basquiat's first formal meeting with his idol, American pop artist Andy Warhol.

<i>Irony of Negro Policeman</i> 1981 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat

Irony of Negro Policeman is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1981. It depicts a black figure as police officer.

<i>Crown Hotel (Mona Lisa Black Background)</i> 1982 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat

Crown Hotel (Mona Lisa Black Background) is a 1982 painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1982. The artwork cites Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Édouard Manet's Olympia, two canonical works of western art. In June 2013, it sold for $7.4 million at Sotheby’s.

<i>Untitled (Fishing)</i> 1981 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat

Untitled is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1981. The artwork, which depicts a fisherman displaying his catch hanging at the end of a line, sold for $26.4 million at Christie's in November 2012.

<i>Flexible</i> (Basquiat) 1984 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat

Flexible is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1984. The artwork, which portrays a griot, sold for $45.3 million at Phillips in May 2018.

<i>Taxi, 45th/Broadway</i> Painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol

Taxi, 45th/Broadway is a painting created by American artists Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol circa 1984–85. The artwork sold at Sotheby's for $9.4 million in November 2018.

<i>The Field Next to the Other Road</i> 1981 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat

The Field Next to the Other Road is a 1981 painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1981. It sold for $37.1 million at Christie's in May 2015.

<i>Untitled (Tar Tar Tar, Lead Lead Lead)</i> 1981 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat

Untitled_(Tar_Tar_Tar,_Lead_Lead_Lead) is a 1981 painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1981. It sold for $34.8 million at Christie's in May 2014.

<i>Warrior</i> (Basquiat) 1982 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat

Warrior is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1982. It is interpreted as "a semi-autobiographical work championing his creative vision as a black artist." In March 2021, the painting sold for $41.8 million at Christie's in Hong Kong, becoming the most expensive Western artwork sold at auction in Asia.

<i>In This Case</i> 1983 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat

In This Case is a 1983 painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1983. The artwork, which depicts a skull, is among the most expensive paintings ever purchased. In May 2021, it sold for $93.1 million at Christie's New York, the second highest auction record by Basquiat.

<i>Untitled (One Eyed Man or Xerox Face)</i> 1982 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat

Untitled (One Eyed Man or Xerox Face) is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1982. In May 2021, it sold for $30.2 million at Christie's in Hong Kong.

<i>Donut Revenge</i> 1982 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat

Donut Revenge is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1982. The artwork, which features a radiant rotund figure, sold for $20.9 million at Christie's in December 2021.

References

  1. "Jean-Michel Basquiat's painting 'Jim Crow' sells for $17.7 million at Christie's Paris". Artdaily. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  2. "Jean-Michel Basquiat's Anti-Segregation Painting "Jim Crow" Sold for US$17.6m". The Value. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  3. "State of Siege: Mississippi Whites and the Civil Rights Movement - American RadioWorks". American Radio Works. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  4. George, Carol V. R. (2015). One Mississippi, Two Mississippi: Methodists, Murder, and the Struggle for Racial Justice in Neshoba County. Oxford University Press. p. 44. ISBN   978-0-19-023109-5.
  5. 1 2 McMillen, Neil R. (1990). Dark Journey: Black Mississippians in the Age of Jim Crow. University of Illinois Press. pp. 9–10. ISBN   978-0-252-06156-1.
  6. d'Addario, John (October 30, 2014). "Basquiat in the American South". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2021-01-10.