“And The Day Divides The Night” is a figurative artwork rendered by Jean-Michel Basquiat, an artist renowned for his involvement in the Neo-Expressionism art movement. The piece dates to 1977, a period when Basquiat was burgeoning as a force in the art world, leveraging his unique voice and perspective.
The artwork presents a seemingly simplistic, yet evocative composition, characterized by the gestural use of line and color. It features an anthropomorphic figure drawn in red and orange outlines that give the impression of a body in motion or transformation. This figure is reaching toward a form on the right side of the canvas, which resembles a radiant burst of yellow light, possibly symbolizing a sun or a star. The background is suffused with lines of varying thickness, predominantly in shades of blue, suggesting a dynamic or textured atmosphere, perhaps indicative of a sky or an abstract space.
The human form and celestial object are connected by a series of looping lines, which could suggest energy, motion, or a metaphysical link between the figure and the cosmic entity. The rest of the canvas is relatively unadorned, allowing the central elements to stand out and implying a sense of openness or infinity surrounding them.
Adding to the complexity of the piece, there is text at the bottom of the artwork which reads, “and the day divides the night.” The words, inscribed by Basquiat himself, deepen the narrative of the artwork, hinting at themes of duality, transition, and the profound cycle of day and night.
Overall, the expressiveness of the figure and the vivid burst alongside the enigmatic script work together to suggest a story or a message, one that resonates with Basquiat’s signature abstraction and engagement with profound themes rendered in a style that defies strict categorization and invites individual interpretation.
