"I don’t think about art when I’m working. I try to think about life."
Basquiat is one of the pioneers of the “underground” movement and neo-expressionism. His work is easily recognizable for its frank graphics, strong social themes, and a certain scientific interest in the body. His work alludes to memories of his family past (his Haitian origins), together with the influences of pop art. Anatomy fascinates Basquiat and his early works show a singular attraction to death, a central element of his work. Basquiat's colors are bright, standing out against dark, gloomy backgrounds. Besides the finitude of life, there is also a more scientific and rigorous analysis that drives the artist. He often plays with this dichotomy between the inside and the outside, exhibiting both the outside of a ravaged face and the inside of a skull, its hard bones and skeletal contours. Dying of an overdose at the age of 27, this young friend of Warhol's elevated street art to fine art.