Supercomb
Supercomb
Unsigned Print
Jean-Michel Basquiat
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74 x 52cm, Edition of 500, Lithograph
Medium: Lithograph
Edition size: 500
Year: 2000
Size: H 74cm x W 52cm
Signed: No
Format: Unsigned Print
Last Auction: March 2023
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Meaning & Analysis
Supercomb, like Rinso, appears to parody infomercials with its stylised lettering and cliche slogans. The outline of a man is depicted holding a ‘supercomb’, which is described as an ‘unbreakable pocket comb’. The chaotic layering of text, paint and sketches in the piece, however, contrast strongly against the tightly controlled visual presentation which defines the advertising press. The almost illegible writing presents a sharp contrast to the accessible, eye-catching text of commercial copy.
A copyright sign accompanies the date, spelt out in words at the base of the print. In the work of Basquiat, materialism and consumer culture are consistently depicted as an enveloping and omnipresent phenomenon which contaminates all. As Leonhard Emmerling writes: “A 1981 drawing shows nothing more than the word “Milk” emblazoned with a copyright sign. This drawing combines a staple food with the claim of control over its distribution and the consequent ability to draw a profit from it.” In the heavily commercialised world of Basquiat’s images, nothing is safe from the carnivorous march of market forces.
Jean-Michel Basquiat's unique visual style has dominated the Urban Art scene, securing his status as one of the most successful African-American street artists of the 20th Century. Addressing themes of race, identity and culture within his expressive works, his distinctive painterly style and use of child-like iconography changed the course of art history forever. Artworks such as Undiscovered Genius place controversial subjects at the forefront of his narrative. Despite his tragically premature death at the age of 27, Basquiat's impact on the art scene is exemplified through the increase of his market value in the years since.
