Description

Past and Contemporary street culture

Jean-Michel Basquiat painted La Hara in 1981, a key moment in which he went from being a street artist to a sensation in the art world. He began working in the basement of Annina Nosei's gallery in SoHo, where the painting La Hara was created. La Hara is one of the few works Basquiat painted white men. The artwork depicts a menacing white skeletal figure wearing a peaked cap against a red background. Basquiat uses bold colors and diagrams throughout the painting. On the left side of the figure, the word "LA HARA" can be read several times, which is a reference to a common last name of New York police officers in 1940s and 50s.