Iconoclast: Slave Auction

Slave Auction by Jean-Michel Basquiat is an example of iconoclast artwork because of the content of the painting. Basquiat is striking out against the slave trade, as it was, and how it still may impact race relations today. The puppet-master like figure seems to be conducting with nameless faces in the background, signifying the master-slave relationship.  The three letters in the bottom right hand corner almost look like KKK, an indictment on American culture. The skull with a halo implies an angel or Jesus-like innocence on the part of those who have died in the slave trade, and possibly those who are dying today.