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Horn PlayersHorn Players Photography © Douglas M. Parker Studio, Los Angeles © The Estate of the Artist/ADAGP, Paris/ARS New York 2013

Horn Players

Jean-Michel Basquiat. 1983 C.E. Acrylic and oil paintstick on three canvas panels

Curator Note

"A triptych paying homage to jazz legends Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, blending anatomical drawings, graffiti text, and expressionist brushwork. Basquiat elevates these black musicians to the status of high art figures, while using a raw, street-inspired aesthetic that critiques the art world’s exclusion of black artists. The work pulses with the rhythm of jazz, characterized by improvisation and "scat" text."

Form

  • Triptych arrangement (three panels) reminiscent of medieval altarpieces.
  • Flattened background with patches of color and white paint masking earlier layers.
  • Use of jagged, expressive lines and crossed-out text to draw attention.
  • Mixed media application of acrylic and oil paintstick gives a raw, immediate texture.
  • Visual rhythm created through repetition of words like "ORNITHOLOGY" and "DIZZY".

Function

  • To pay tribute to jazz musicians whom Basquiat idolized.
  • To affirm the contribution of African American culture to modernism.
  • To challenge the distinction between "high" fine art and "low" street art/graffiti.
  • To document the artist’s stream of consciousness and cultural influences.
  • To assert black identity and history within the predominantly white art canon.

Content

  • Portraits of Charlie Parker (alto saxophonist) and Dizzy Gillespie (trumpeter).
  • Repeated words "ORNITHOLOGY" (a Parker song) and "PREE" (Basquiat’s daughter).
  • Anatomical sketches reflect Basquiat’s childhood interest in Gray’s Anatomy.
  • Crossed-out words represent mistakes or secrets, inviting the viewer to look closer.
  • The juxtaposition of text and image creates a visual "jazz" or syncopation.

Context

  • Basquiat started as a graffiti artist "SAMO" in Lower Manhattan in the late 1970s.
  • Rose to fame quickly in the 1980s Neo-Expressionist movement.
  • Work reflects the "Global Contemporary" focus on identity politics and diverse cultural narratives.
  • Influenced by Picasso, Abstract Expressionism, and the raw energy of NYC street culture.
  • Basquiat died young of an overdose, adding a tragic dimension to his rapid ascent.