Renowned American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat’s iconic painting, ‘200 Yen’, previously auctioned by LiveAuctioneers on April 21st, 2020 (lot 018), is poised to make a resounding return.
Basquiat, a trailblazer of the Neo-expressionism movement during the 1980s, gained acclaim for his radical, expressionistic pieces that passionately called for the recognition of oppressed groups, denouncing racism, colonization, and capitalist domination.
Art forensics analysts Dr. Jeffrey Taylor and Thiago Piwowarczyk from New York Art Forensics shed light on the profound themes embedded in ‘200 Yen’. The painting delves into Basquiat’s favored subjects, including colonization, commerce, racial discrimination, and oppression, all within a historical context. The recurring tag ‘SAMO’, standing for ‘Same Old Shit’, is a nod to Basquiat’s early career and his critical messages targeting the art establishment. ‘SAMO@’ continues to feature in later works, solidifying its significance.
The explicit reference to ‘200 YEN’ aligns with the average exchange rate of the American Dollar to the Japanese Yen in 1982, symbolizing the rise of the Japanese economy as a dominating force ‘colonizing’ the early 1980s hegemony. Phrases like ‘TAX-FREE’ and imagery of a rocket draw parallels to the Opium Wars, a favored topic for Basquiat. The connection draws a historical parallel between the imposition of addictive products on colonized people in the past and the modern economic dependence imposed by new colonizers on the West.
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s meteoric rise to fame in the late 1970s marked him as a leading figure in the East Village art scene. His works soon commanded top prices globally, with pieces showcased in prestigious museums, including the MOMA. In 2017, his 1982 masterpiece, ‘Untitled 1982’, depicting a black skull with red and yellow rivulets, set a record-breaking auction price of $110.5 million, solidifying Basquiat’s position as one of the most influential American artists.
Eminence Rise Media continues to be at the forefront of promoting artistic excellence and is thrilled to facilitate the resurgence of Basquiat’s masterpiece, ‘200 Yen’, into the cultural spotlight. The upcoming bid war among top U.S. museums promises an exciting chapter for art enthusiasts and collectors alike.
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