“Worthy Constituent” is Jean-Michel Basquiat's interpretation of a musical duel between jazz legends Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie on the song “Salt Peanuts.” An avid jazz and bebop fan, Basquiat (1960 – 1988) first streaked the canvas with coffee before painting it. The intricacy and intensity of the musicians’ rendition is reflected in Basquiat’s extreme, aggressive and intricate style of painting. On the right side of the work are vehicles including an ambulance, whose constant sounds may have been perceived by Basquiat as urban music.

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