Il Duce 1982

Jean-Michel Basquiat made this painting, Il Duce, using his signature combination of raw, expressive marks and a defiant colour palette. The thick, tactile paint is really tangible, it’s like Basquiat wanted us to feel the weight of his ideas. See how he layers the browns and ochres, building up a surface that’s both chaotic and controlled? Then you get these jolts of intense colour – that electric orange against the muted background. It’s like a visual scream. And, oh, check out that mouth full of yellow teeth! It’s a bold stroke, both formally and metaphorically, it speaks of power and decay. Basquiat's visceral approach reminds me of Cy Twombly, another artist who wasn't afraid to embrace the raw energy of mark-making, who saw that art is an ongoing conversation, a dialogue across time and cultures. Ultimately, it's about embracing ambiguity, about allowing for multiple readings and interpretations, just like life itself.