The crown is one of Basquiat’s most recognizable symbols. But in Back of the Neck, it’s what sits beneath it that matters. Created in 1983, Back of the Neck brings together Basquiat’s unmistakable visual language: handwritten words, anatomical fragments, the copyright symbol and his three-pointed crown. The work came at a particularly charged moment in New York. That same year, 25-year-old artist Michael Stewart died after being arrested by New York City transit police. Phillips has placed the work within this context, connecting its fragmented anatomy to the violence surrounding the Black body during the period. SPINE. BRACCO. BACK OF THE NECK. The body is pulled apart, labeled and exposed almost like an anatomical study. Above everything sits that familiar crown, painted gold. Here, anatomy becomes a way of exploring vulnerability, violence, identity and power. More than forty years later, we’re still looking. #JeanMichelBasquiat #Basquiat #ContemporaryArt #ArtHistory #NYCArt ...