Basquiat was an artist from the United States who created raw and unsettling art. Unfortunately, he passed away too soon after living an intense life. This composition reminds me of him and his work—bold and unapologetic.
The man’s face is already raw, but the genitalia drawn over it and the mouth make it even more jarring. The little heart in the bottom left doesn’t redeem it, almost coming across as cynical. RFA stands for République Fédérale d’Allemagne. Why there’s an image of a head with a key through its skull beneath it, we may never know. The entire composition speaks to me because it doesn’t try to be beautiful or seductive. It is what it is: wild, uncompromising, and full of meaning.