If you asked a random person on the street to name one artist, my guess is they would either say Leonardo da Vinci or Jean-Michel Basquiat. I am fascinated by instances where artists and specific works of art successfully leave the art world and become part of popular culture.
I was sent a fascinating video about the origin of the “Universal S” symbol (while watching, I realized I also remembered it from growing up in surf and skate culture). Midway through, the subject—and ultimately the key to discovering the origin—becomes Basquiat. The symbol can be found in the upper left of his work Olive Oil.
While it’s tempting to champion art as a place through which all sorts of mysteries can be solved (definitely true), I am interested in pointing out how art reminds us of our depth of connection to each other. And how universal our need is to not only communicate but also find meaning in the symbols around us.
