Untitled, 1982 poster by Jean-Michel Basquiat

This superb  poster reproduces Basquiat's Untitled 1981. The poster has been published by the Louisiana Museum, Denmark, in connection with their exhibition Basquiat – Headstrong: the first comprehensive showing devoted to the artist's depictions of the human head, including many works that the artist chose to keep private during his lifetime.

Basquiat long ago burst out of the narrow confines of art history to become a ubiquitous global phenomenon: a young Black artist who broke through in a blitz of heads, bodies and potent symbols, only to vanish again at the age of 27. Since then, the interest in his life and work has only grown stronger.

Amidst Basquiat’s explosive, expressive output, there is also a group of works – drawings in oilstick on paper, mainly from the period 1981-1983 – which revolve around the head as a motif and which are almost devoid of the symbols and text that are otherwise so characteristic of his practice. The artist retained these works -  they remained virtually unknown to the public during his lifetime. The heads were not preparatory studies for paintings or works in other media. They are works in their own right, and thus invite reflection on Basquiat’s overall practice.

Approximate dimensions: W: 42 x H: 59.4 cm (A2)