At Large 1984

Jean-Michel Basquiat, who was only 28 when he died, made this painting, called “At Large,” using acrylic and oil stick. Look at the way Basquiat lets us see his process. He's not covering up his tracks; instead, he lets the layers build and mingle. The gray background feels like a stormy sky, setting the stage for the wild energy of the images floating on top. The globe, with its bold grid and rough outline, feels more like a fragment of thought than a geographical representation, and then there is the figure, seemingly caught mid-stride, rendered with a few lines and patches of color. What I like about this figure is how the paint is thinned out, creating a ghostly effect against the flatness of the grey. Basquiat reminds me of Cy Twombly, who was able to make scribbles feel profound. Both artists show us how art can be a playground for the mind. There are no easy answers, just a space for us to wander and wonder.