An Invisible Man Exhibit

Not long ago, I was able to visit the Jean Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure exhibit on West 26th Street. The exhibit featured over 200 pieces of some amazing art, with detailed placards explaining what each picture was about. The exhibit displayed some of his notebooks, commission works he did, and a recreation of what his studio looked like in Soho. His art is very distinguishable from any other artist, with his definitive brush strokes that make up interesting forms and words that cover the canvas. The art was all very intriguing to me, and I sort of struggled to understand what all of it meant, so I decided to do a bit of research on Basquiat to get a deeper understanding of his beliefs, values, and everything he stood for. 

What I found out was pretty interesting and helped me comprehend some of the meaning behind his work. His main stance when it came to art is that all art should be open and public rather than being elitist. On top of all of this, he was extremely against the capitalistic mindset throughout the art world and expressed this idea through his art. 

This is what made me start make connections to the Invisible Man. 

In the Invisible Man, after several encounters throughout his life in racist America, the narrator begins to realize that he was being taken advantage of by the people around him and decides to escape everything and become invisible. The narrator sees how he is being used by the people around him and choses to erase his identity so that no one can benefit from him, instead of continuing a life where he is constantly being exploited. This connects to Basquiat’s stance against capitalism, that is it feed off of those beneath it and its only desire is to grow and take over everything. The narrator’s choice to become “invisible” shows how he undermines capitalism, by becoming something that can never be used to benefit others. 

Personally, I do not think that completely erasing ones identify to evade capitalism is the right response. Our self-image is extremely important in having a fulfilling life. 

Like we saw in the Invisible Man, the narrator ended up “hibernating”, living in a hole underground completely secluded from society. One untitled painting from the exhibit reminded me of this chapter. It pictures a small face on an orange canvas, completely alone.

Although the narrator essentially got what he wanted in escaping society, would this ever truly lead to happiness? Shouldn’t there be a way to escape capitalism and leave a fulfilling life? I am hopeful that there is, as we are led to believe the narrator is soon coming out of hibernation to recent society. Hopefully, he will be able to regain his identity while avoiding the exploitation he previously faced in a capitalist society.