The artwork “Ascent” created by Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1983, is a vibrant and expressive piece made using various mediums including acrylic, charcoal, crayon, pastel, and pencil. This piece is part of the Neo-Expressionism and Street art movements and measures 57 cm by 76.5 cm. It exemplifies a figurative genre and is included in “The Daros Suite of Thirty-Two Drawnings” series. The artwork is housed in the Daros Collection located in Zürich, Switzerland.
“Ascent” manifests Basquiat’s distinctive style characterized by a complex layering of imagery and text. The artwork is a riot of colors, symbols, and words that create a densely packed visual discourse. On the canvas, one can observe a variety of crudely drawn figures and faces with accompanying annotations, perhaps signifying thoughts, names, or philosophical concepts. Diverse elements such as an outlined human figure can be seen extended towards the word “ASCENT” at the center, suggesting themes of rise or transcendence. Abstracted animals and facial forms, often a signature aspect of Basquiat’s work, appear throughout the composition.
Around these central figures are scattered inscriptions which vary from single words to names like “Plotinus” and “Eckartshausen,” implying a depth of philosophical or historical references. The use of multiple colors, especially prominent blues, blacks, yellows, and reds, brings an intense energy to the piece. The predominantly white background allows these colors and the scrawled black text to stand out, creating a dynamic interplay. The rough, almost spontaneous execution of elements reflects an immediacy and rawness that are hallmarks of Basquiat’s oeuvre. Overall, “Ascent” is a powerful representation of Basquiat’s ability to fuse textual language with visually arresting imagery, inviting interpretation and reflection.