Per Capita
Medium: 21 color screen-print on Saunders 410 Hot Press Watercolor paper
Year: 1983/2001
Sheet: 40 x40 inches (101.6 x 101.6 cm)
Edition: 85
Artist’s Proofs: 15
Other: 15 Hors Commerce (HC), 5 Printer’s Proofs (PP), and 1 BAT
Publisher: DeSanctis Carr Fine Art, 2001
Each screen-print bears the signature of Gerard Basquiat, Administrator of The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat on verso, as well as the stamps of the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat, and DeSanctis Carr Fine Art.
Untitled (Per Capita) embodies both the composite technique and layers of meaning that make the artist’s work captivating and culturally relevant. Referencing the 1981 painting also known as Untitled (Per Capita) the print contains elusive layers of imagery, which compel the viewer to look to his other works for synthesis and clarity. A commonly reappearing symbol in Basquiat’s work, the three-pointed crown occupies a central place amidst layers of painted-over drawings of religious symbols. Basquiat often used crowns or more abstract halos to mark the majesty of his artistic influences and personal heroes, many of whom were African American athletes and artists. Elevating black culture creators in ways they were not typically depicted in Western culture, Basquiat paid homage to their achievements and placed himself in their company by crowning himself as their successor. In the context of Untitled (Per Capita), the crown is placed prominently over the boldly inscribed word “Asbestos,” which Basquiat used in several works as a symbol of corporate greed and the prioritization of capital over human health. The position of the crown in combination with the title Per Capita suggests the triumph of individuals over the evils of society. One could read this positive message as an affirmation of Basquiat’s belief in the ability of people to achieve influence despite their circumstances, as he did in the art world.
Auction Results
SBI Art Auction: 28 October 2023
Estimated: JPY 8,000,000 – 14,000,000
JPY 15,525,000 / USD 103,602
AFTER JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT (1960-1988)
Untitled (Per Capita), 2001
Screenprint in colors on museum board
Numbered and signed from the edition of 85
Phillips London: 12 September 2019
Estimated: GBP 25,000 – 35,000
GBP 81,250
AFTER JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT
Per Capita, 1983/2001
Numbered ‘H.C. 15/15′ in pencil on the front
(an hors commerce copy, the edition was 85 and 15 artist’s proofs)
Signed and dated ’11-19-01’ in pencil by Gerard Basquiat on the Estate stamp
(on the reverse)