Untitled (Tar Tar Tar, Lead Lead Lead)

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Untitled
Untitled (Tar Tar Tar, Lead Lead Lead).jpg
Year1981
MediumAcrylic, oilstick and metallic spray enamel on canvas
Movement Neo-Expressionism
Dimensions172.7 cm× 261.6 cm(68.0 in× 103.0 in)
LocationPrivate collection

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. [1]

Contents

History

Executed in 1981, Untitled depicts a regal warrior surrounded by texts and graffiti imagery that marks his "transcendence from the leading figure on the underground art scene to the established world of international art stardom." [2] The year it was created, Basquiat had his first solo exhibition at Galleria d'Arte Emilio Mazzoli and Annina Nosei became his first art dealer. [3] [4] Describing his aesthetic, she said his paintings "had a quality you don't find on the walls of the street, a quality of poetry and a universal message of the sign. It was a bit immature, but very beautiful." [5] Nosei provided Basquiat with studio space in the basement of her gallery, along with paint and canvases as he worked towards his first American solo show. [3] Art collector Anita Reiner, saw the painting while Basquiat was working on it and purchased it on the spot. [6] Reiner died in 2013, and the painting remained in the Reiner Family Collection until her heirs put it up for auction in 2014. [7] [8] It sold for $34.8 million at Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale in May 2014. [1]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Capuchine, Milliot (May 14, 2014). "Post-Sale Release: Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sales". Christie's. Archived from the original on 2021-02-27. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  2. "Basquiat, Bacon top auction list". The Spokesman. May 16, 2014. Archived from the original on 2023-07-09. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  3. 1 2 "'IT'S CULTURE OR IT'S NOT CULTURE': An Interview with Annina Nosei". Artsy. March 4, 2014. Archived from the original on 2021-02-27. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  4. Maneker, Marion (June 8, 2018). "Sotheby's Brings Basquiat Held in Italy for 35 Years to London". Art Market Monitor. Archived from the original on 2021-01-15. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  5. Metcalf, Story by Stephen. "The Enigma of the Man Behind the $110 Million Painting". The Atlantic. ISSN   1072-7825. Archived from the original on 2021-02-12. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  6. Maneker, Marion (April 10, 2014). "Basquiat from the Basement at Annina Nosei on Block for $20m at Christie's". Art Market Monitor. Archived from the original on 2021-03-04. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  7. "A Tribute to Anita Reiner". The Phillips Collection. Archived from the original on 2023-07-09. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  8. Crow, Kelly (2014-04-10). "Warhol and Basquiat at New York Auctions in May". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660. Archived from the original on 2023-07-09. Retrieved 2021-01-16.