Across the 1980s there was a general acceptance of the qualities of this artist and collectors start to acquire his work in great numbers. Slowly over time their values would start to rise and others in the art world would start to take notice of how his career was progressing. His background was fairly unique within the art scene, which was dominated by white middle-class artists and so he was immediately memorable as a personality, even before you started to learn and appreciate his work. He was also friends with a number of other prominent artists such as Warhol which also helped him to enter new social circles and build a solid reputation, leading to higher valuations of his work.
In the bottom right hand corner of the painting we find a car crash depicted, and the artist would use this impactful image within several artworks, just as he did with his crowns and skulls. The full text added here reads as follows, " Jimmy Best on his back to the suckerpunch of his childhood files." Typical of Basquiat, one is left confused even with such clear guidance as text. This was an artist with a complex mind which he provided a visual demonstration of within his various paintings. He does underline the same and the word punch with a red line which suggests they hold the biggest importance within this composition, from the point of view of the artist. The overall work is over two metres in height and width, also making use of some crayon alongside the dominant spray paint.
Basquiat was an exciting and memorable figure within the American art scene with some political statements which would draw attention to the problems experienced by his own community. In the present day these types of voices are becoming louder and more common, meaning his work is just as relevant now as it was then. This was clearly not lip-service either, for Basquiat felt passionate about speaking on issues such as police racism and the unfair nature of society, hoping that he could use his voice to push change that future generations could then benefit from. Besides his political statements, there were also other themes used as inspiration as well, such as religion and sport.
