Untitled

Formerly in the collection of his good friend Andy Warhol, Untitled is one of a number of noteworthy Jean-Michel Basquiat works that incorporate found objects. He generally chose things with a certain amount of patina and age, which worked well with his rough-and-ready style. Throughout his career, the artist painted on, among other things, easels, doors, windows, doors and boxes.

In the present lot, the object itself adds meaning to the work--Basquiat has chosen an artists drafting table, a place of creation, which in some sense points to it being a kind of self-portrait. Basquiat covered the entire table-top in a flesh color paint, over which he painted in electric blue and black, the compelling figure of man with a halo/crown of thorns. The work straddles painting and sculpture in a compelling and raw way that is unique to Basquiat.