Jean-Michel Basquiat: Venta Plate

Produced by Ligne Blanche in Paris in collaboration with the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat, this Limoges porcelain plate reproduces Basquiat’s painting The Mechanics That Always Have a Gear Left Over (1988), which features a dog and a mouse in a state between life and death. The animals stand in rigid positions and their eyes are crossed out. The dog clutches poles and wires as lightning strikes, suggesting an imminent mishap. Also shown is a crossed-out receipt with the text VENTA TOTAL (“total sale” in Spanish), a reference to Basquiat’s fascination with mass consumption.