Untitled

Untitled dates from 1981, the year of Basquiat's first exhibitions in art galleries as well as his inclusion in the group show New York/New Wave at PS1, both of which heralded his transformation from the well-regarded graffiti artist SAMO (short for "same old shit") to the professional artist he came to be recognized as in the 1980s. Untitled adroitly combines elements of abstraction, figuration, and expressionism. It pulses with energy, exuberance, and dynamism, evoking the crowded, cacophonous streets of New York City. Typically, the work is dense with symbolism and coded iconography. At the top is a roughly-sketched in head, mask-like in appearance. On the head rests a mop of hair that vaguely resembles Andy Warhol's, who Basquiat knew of in 1981 but would not meet properly until 1982. Arrows appear throughout the painting, as does a curious shape that resembles both a laboratory beaker and a tomahawk.