Perfect Illusion

A young Jean Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol and Lady Gaga stand under their respective spheres ready for battle. Basquiat, arms crossed and gazing off as if in a dream state stands beneath a cipher both frenzied and abundant in it’s cryptic codes. Warhol stands under the Arm & Hammer logo. The tagline for this symbol of American domestic cleanliness is: “The standard of purity”. Warhol understood the hidden power of keeping a message simple and appealing while simultaneously striking a dissonant chord with the double entendre. Lady Gaga is “hitting the target”. The center of a target is called a bull’s-eye. Hitting the bull’s-eye is a term for perfect success. The title of the piece comes from the single from her album, “Joanne”. The track explores the singer's "highest of highs and lowest of lows" and is ultimately a commentary on social media.