Red Rabbit 1982

Jean-Michel Basquiat made this painting, “Red Rabbit,” with what looks like oil stick and maybe some spray paint on canvas. The red is so vibrant, almost raw, like a feeling bursting out. Look at the rabbit itself, how it's formed with such directness. The lines are immediate, like the image arrived fully formed. It’s gestural, fast, and so present. Then, the layers—how the white scratches cut through the red, the blue adding another dimension. It’s not about perfection but the energy of creation, the act of making. The paint is applied thickly in some areas, almost like a sculpture. See that patch of gold on the body, how it catches the light, like a jewel. For me, Basquiat is channeling the spirit of artists like Cy Twombly, people who understand that a mark can be both an end and a beginning. It's like an open conversation, not a closed statement.