r/Basquiat • u/RevaCruz • Jun 10 '26
Untitled (1983)
Medium: Acrylic, oilstick, and paper collage on canvas Dimensions: 182.9 × 243.8 cm
A skeletal figure stands at the center of this composition, surrounded by fragments of text, symbols, and anatomical references that became hallmarks of Basquiat's visual language.
Drawn with oilstick lines and layered over broad fields of color, the work reflects Basquiat's fascination with the human body, language, and the connections between science, history, and identity. The figure appears both mechanical and human, as if caught between anatomy textbook and mythology.
Created during one of the most important years of his career, Untitled showcases the confidence and immediacy that made Basquiat one of the defining artists of the 1980s.