Jean-Michel Basquiat Thyroid, from Anatomy For Sale

Edition

Edition of 18 plus 7 AP numbered in Roman Numerals

In 1982, Basquiat released Anatomy, his inaugural print series comprising 18 silkscreen prints, each produced in editions of 18. Set against a solid black background are Basquiat's white anatomical sketches, individually spotlighting various segments of the human body. The print's clinical demeanor and minimal composition starkly contrast with the prevailing perception of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s vibrant and chaotic graffiti-inspired artworks. The simplistic portrayal of bodily elements accentuates the artist’s proclamation: “I want to create paintings that appear childlike.” While Basquiat annotates each depicted body part in this x-ray-esque depiction, subtle indications of omissions and errant strokes surface, such as the absence of an ‘a’ in ‘phalanges’ and a stray line adjacent to the 'radius' annotation. These instances hint at the lexical experimentation and textual disruption prevalent in Basquiat’s larger canvases.