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When was Hollywood Africans painted?
1983
Hollywood Africans/Created
Hollywood Africans is one of a series of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s paintings that feature images and texts relating to stereotypes of African Americans in the entertainment industry. It was painted while Basquiat was on an extended visit to Los Angeles, California, in 1983.
What does the date 1940 reference in Hollywood Africans ‘?
The date 1940, written at the top of the painting, may refer to the year actress Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to win an Oscar for playing the racial caricature “Mammy” in Gone With The Wind (1939).
Is Basquiat African?
As an African American artist with African-Caribbean lineage, Basquiat defied the cultural and professional stereotypes of his time. He carved his way into a predominantly white art sphere that had dominated the art circuit of that era to become one of the most commercially successful artists of all time.
Why did Basquiat cross out words in his paintings?
As if a hint the weight words would hold in his oeuvre, Basquiat once said, “I cross out words so you will see them more; the fact that they are obscured makes you want to read them.”
Why has some of the text in this work been crossed out or painted over?
Words are often crossed out to make the audience pay them more attention and consider their meaning. In Basquiat’s works, there is a harmony among written, drawn, and painted marks that have all clearly been made by the same hand.
What symbols did Basquiat use?
Crowns, human bodies, boxers and skulls were frequent symbols used in his work, sometimes used to adorn those he admired with royalty, strength and power.
How did neo expressionism start?
Beginnings of Neo-Expressionism By the late 1970s, Baselitz was at the head of a loose-knit group of German artists known as Neue Wilden (the ‘New Fauves’). Associated with the label were artists such as Anselm Kiefer, Markus Lupertz, Eugen Schonebeck, and A.R. Penck.
Can Basquiat really draw?
Basquiat displayed a talent for art in early childhood, learning to draw and paint with his mother’s encouragement. After being hit by a car as a young child, Basquiat underwent surgery for the removal of his spleen, an event that led to his reading the famous medical and artistic treatise, Gray’s Anatomy.
What does the crown in graffiti mean?
Self-declared kings often incorporate crowns into their pieces but other writers tend to slash them out if they have not gained that rank in their eyes. Typically a writer can only become a king if another king has called him a king.