Description

In this powerful work, Lasveguix pays homage to Jean-Michel Basquiat, an iconic figure in urban art and African-American culture. Basquiat's black and white face, dressed in a sober suit and tie, contrasts with the chaotic explosion of torn paper, layers of torn posters, colors, and graffiti surrounding him. The classic portrait is literally invaded by a living urban material, highlighting the tension between the frozen icon and the raw energy of the street.

Lasveguix's approach consists of deconstructing the image in order to better recontextualize it, in a visual language made of superimposed layers, textures, and half-erased typography. We can distinguish fragments of words ("err," "live," "you"), bursts of pink, yellow, and black paint, as well as splashes that recall the spontaneous gesture of street art. The result is a portrait that is both reverential and organic, in which Basquiat's identity emerges through the visual tumult as a persistent, rebellious, and mythical presence.