“Gringo Pilot (Anola Gay),” created by Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1981, is an artwork rendered in acrylic, crayon, and graphite on paper. Encompassing dimensions of 205.7 x 261.6 cm, this piece falls under the genre of figurative art and aligns with the art movements of Neo-Expressionism and Street art.
The artwork prominently features Basquiat’s characteristic use of vivid, gestural lines and a rich palette of reds and blacks. It includes a variety of symbolic and textual elements, forming a seemingly chaotic yet meticulously composed narrative. A crowned figure appears centrally, embodying Basquiat’s recurrent iconography of kingship and authority. Additionally, fragmented text, including the repeated mention of “Paul Tibbets” and “Anola Gay,” references historical elements connected to the pilot and aircraft involved in the Hiroshima bombing. The artwork exemplifies Basquiat’s unique style, merging textual annotation with raw, expressive figures to convey a complex, layered message.
