The artwork chosen for my analysis is The Irony of Negro Policeman by Jean-Michel Basquiat. This acrylic/crayon piece on canvas, created in 1981, comments on the paradox of Black authority within a racist system. It shows how identity and power collide when individuals must serve the very institutions that marginalise them (King, 2024). In this analysis, I will examine how Basquiat uses visual signs to critique identity, authority, and race. The painting features a dark, mask-like figure in a police uniform. Notably, Basquiat makes the hat resemble a cage or grid, and adds rough text such as “IRONY OF NEGRO PLCEMN” and “PAWN” near the figure in bold, uneven lettering.
Building on this, the police uniform symbolises authority, but the word “pawn” undermines this, highlighting the officer’s lack of power and forced submission. The cage-like hat intensifies the sense of confinement, representing restrictions on Black identity within institutional roles. The distorted figure and raw brushwork reveal inner conflict, directly illustrating the fractured identity Basquiat depicts.
Overall, The Irony of Negro Policeman uses semiotic elements to reveal contradictions within a racist system. Basquiat combines symbols of authority, such as the police uniform, with imagery of restriction and oppression, like bars and masked faces. Through this, he critiques the systemic structures that force Black people into conflicting roles as both enforcers and targets of oppression. The painting's fractured composition encourages viewers to examine how power and identity are created and maintained within society.
Reference list
King, E. (2024). Basquiat and Identity Politics: Challenging Conventional Narratives | MyArtBroker | Article. [online] MyArtBroker. Available at: https://www.myartbroker.com/artist-jean-michel-basquiat/articles/basquiat-identity-politics [Accessed 31 Oct. 2025].