Basquiat Buzzwords

8 Pages 1968 Words

ipulate and abuse others. In his painting Native Carrying Some Guns, Bibles, Amorites on Safari, the word POACHERS appears above the word MISSIONARIES and are separated by a line. POACHERS is boxed in and an arrow points from the two words to the word NOBLE; this is done as if to compare and contrast the two words in a single statement. By labeling missionaries and poachers with the same description, it is easy to find oneself questioning the depiction. It seems unlikely to call a poacher yet favorable to call a missionary noble maybe Basquiat is implying that one should feel the same disapproval when referring to either as noble. He does this as if to propose the idea that they are one in the same. This statement suggests that missionaries act as poachers trapping unsuspecting creatures into undesired ways of life.
In his 1984 untitled painting, he uses the phrase SUN GOD/TRICKSTER which parallels the same idea. His use of the word trickster in relation to God brings about this same skepticism and contempt for the use of religion to manipulate and exploit people. It could also mean that exploitation runs deeper than a means through which to gain profit, but that it goes as far as to manipulate the beliefs and religions of people as well.
In his 1983 untitled painting (QUALITY), he combines the phrases “Rest in Peace” and “In God We Trust.” He manipulates the phrase that is seen on American currency and on the one seen on gravestones of the dead. In combining the two phrases he comes up with the expression “REST IN PEACE WHO TRUST?” leaving out any ment...