Undiscovered Genius of the Mississippi Delta

Undiscovered Genius of the Mississippi Delta is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988) in 1983. Spanning over 15 feet, the artwork is an assessment of select African American history. The painting sold for $23.7 million at Sotheby's contemporary art evening auction in May 2014.[1][2]

Undiscovered Genius of the Mississippi Delta
ArtistJean-Michel Basquiat
MediumAcrylic, oilstick and paper collage on five joined canvases
MovementNeo-expressionism
Dimensions120 cm (49 in × 185 1/2 in)

Analysis

The title, Undiscovered genius of the Mississippi Delta, and the banner at the top of the painting, "THE DEEP SOUTH 1912-1936-1951," hint at the meaning of the entwined text and images. The words "MISSISSIPPI" and "NEGROES" are each repeated three times in a row, "a sonic echo of insistence and emphasis."[3] As art critic Francesco Pellizzi observed, "His use of words, however, belongs more to the oral traditions of Afro-American cultures—the ecstatic invocations of Voodoo worshipers; the inflamed and inflaming spiritual rhetoric of Baptist preachers with their rousing, recurring, rhythmic juxtapositions of ethical, cosmological, and practical tenets; and, of course, now, black rap…"[4] Another repeated word is "MARK TWAIN," whose book Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is noted for its satire on racism as the protagonist travels along the Mississippi River.

Grégoire Billault, a senior VP at Sotheby's explained the significance of the artwork in an interview with the HuffPost: "By coupling the symbols and phrases most closely associated with the African American story with the abstract expressionist painterly technique in the multi-panel format, Jean-Michel Basquiat created an exceptional masterpiece of history painting."[5]

Exhibitions

Undiscovered genius of the Mississippi Delta has been exhibited at major art institutions worldwide, which include:

See also

References
  1. "AO Recap – Sotheby's Contemporary Evening Sale, Wednesday May 14th, 2014". Art Observed. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
  2. Embuscado, Rain (May 16, 2016). "Basquiat's Most Expensive Works at Auction". artnet News. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
  3. Wolfe, Shira (July 1, 2020). "Iconic Artworks: Basquiat's Undiscovered Genius of the Mississippi Delta". Artland Magazine. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
  4. "Jean-Michel Basquiat, Undiscovered Genius of the Mississippi Delta t". Sotheby's.
  5. Brooks, Katherine (April 30, 2014). "Jean-Michel Basquiat Creates His Own Racial History In 'Undiscovered Genius Of The Mississippi Delta'". HuffPost. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
  6. "Brooklyn Museum: Basquiat". Brooklyn Museum. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
  7. "Basquiat: A Major Retrospective - Museum of Contemporary Art, LA - Absolutearts.com". www.absolutearts.com. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
  8. "Jean-Michel Basquiat at Fondation Beyeler". www.artforum.com. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
  9. "Basquiat". Musée d’Art Moderne de Pari. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
  10. "Blues for Smoke". Whitney Museum of Art. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
  11. "Blues for Smoke". The Museum of Contemporary Art. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
  12. d'Addario, John (October 30, 2014). "Basquiat in the American South". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
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