''Dustheads'' is a 1982 painting created by American artist
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat (; December 22, 1960 – August 12, 1988) was an American artist who rose to success during the 1980s as part of the Neo-expressionism movement.
Basquiat first achieved fame as part of the graffiti duo SAMO, alongside Al ...
in 1982. In May 2013, it sold for $48.8 million at
Christie's
Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...
, which at the time was a record high for a Basquiat painting sold at auction.
History
''Dustheads'' depicts two drug addicts on
angel dust as frenetic radiant characters immersed in black backdrop. The painting was previously in the collection of Tiqui Atencio, who purchased it from art dealer
Tony Shafrazi in 1996.
In May 2013, businessman
Jho Low
Low Taek Jho (, born 4 November 1981), often called Jho Low, is a Malaysian fugitive businessman, wanted by authorities internationally in connection with the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal (1MDB scandal). He has been named the mastermin ...
purchased it for $48.8 million at Christie's, which at the time was the record for most expensive Basquiat painting sold at auction.
The record was surpassed by ''
Untitled'' (1982), a depiction of a devil, for $57.3 million at a Christie's auction in 2016. The next year, Basquiat set a new record high with ''
Untitled'' (1982), a depiction of a skull, for $110.5 million at
Sotheby's
Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, and ...
.
In 2016, Low sold ''Dustheads'' at a loss for $35 million amidst an investigation by federal authorities regarding assets allegedly bought with funds stolen from the
1Malaysia Development Berhad
1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB; ) is an insolvent Malaysian strategic development company, wholly owned by the Minister of Finance (Incorporated).
1MDB was established to drive strategic initiatives for long-term economic development ...
(1MDB) development fund.
See also
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List of paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat
The following is a list of significant artworks by the American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988), who played a historic role in the rise of street art and neo-expressionism.
During his short yet productive career, Basquiat created more t ...
References
External links
Dustheads, Jean-Michel Basquiat Official Website
1982 paintings
Paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat
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