From the UpstART 200 Archives
A Lie (1981) by Jean-Michel Basquiat
Famous graffiti artist Basquiat’s child-like crayon drawing calls to mind René Magritte’s work Ceci n’est pas une pipe, for both are works are not “breakfast” or “a pipe”, but visual representations of the objects, created by the artist’s hand. The harsh title of A Lie set against the simplistic crayon drawing forces the viewer to twist their perceptions of art, emphasizing the meta message of the separation between objects and language.
I also find this piece interesting as, had I not known the artist, I would have quickly cast it aside for its childlike naiveté, the type of drawing only a parent would proudly display. It forces me to question whether I can appreciate art for what it is, or whether the artist’s name attached becomes the primary factor in appreciation.