The artwork is an acrylic on canvas painting that depicts two men fighting each other with knives, one man wearing a white mask labeled Santo and the other man wearing a black mask labeled Second Ave. It can be found at the Centre Pompidou museum in Paris.
The Artistic Style
This artwork is considered a graffiti-style piece because it uses letters and words as art on the canvas by decorating them in different ways, instead of having just a plain background behind the characters as other graffiti pieces have. Although most people would consider this painting to be a very abstract and unrealistic form of art, others may consider it very real because it depicts two men wearing masks and fighting each other with knives. The contrasting colors used in this piece help bring out the true meaning behind the work, which has helped make Jean-Michel Basquiat one of today's greatest artists.
The Theme of this Piece
The theme of this work can be interpreted in many different ways. One theory is that the piece represents an internal battle between two different identities or personalities fighting for one body. Basquiat himself has supported this as he had stated during his artist statement, "There's a lot of me in there." The fact that the characters in this piece are men wearing masks may symbolize how each man hides his true identity from the outside world and only reveals who they truly are to themselves through their actions and words.
Another possible interpretation is that the main theme of this artwork is to show people battling it out against great odds so that they could change their lives no matter how difficult, despite all the violence that surrounds them. People must fight for what they want, no matter how cruel it gets.
The Medium Used
The Medium Used for this Piece is acrylic on canvas. This is a popular medium for painters because it dries quickly and doesn't need to be painted in layers like oils. It's also cheaper than oil paints, making it more accessible to artists who want to experiment with new styles or techniques.
The Location of the Piece
It can currently be found at the Centre Pompidou museum in Paris. It's one of Basquiat's most famous pieces and is considered a masterpiece by many critics and art experts because it challenges what we know about life, death, love, and hate.
