Broken vinyl records and CDs with acrylic on canvas
72 × 84 inches
Framed
Executed in 2010
Price: on request
Michael Jackson, BKR094 is a monumental early example from Mr. Brainwash’s celebrated “Broken Records” series — a body of work that transforms the physical history of recorded music into portraits of the cultural icons who defined it.
Constructed from shattered vinyl records and reflective compact discs layered with acrylic paint, the work moves beyond traditional painting into sculptural assemblage. Thousands of carefully arranged fragments form Jackson’s unmistakable likeness, while mirrored CD elements embedded within the aviator lenses introduce shifting reflections that activate the work as viewers move through space.
At 72 × 84 inches, this canvas stands notably larger and more intricate than many examples from the series. The density of material, particularly within the hair and military-style jacket, creates remarkable surface depth, giving the portrait a tactile presence rarely achieved in two-dimensional media.
Artistic Context
Mr. Brainwash’s “Broken Records” works reinterpret obsolete sound media — vinyl records once responsible for shaping global music culture — into enduring visual icons. Few subjects resonate more powerfully with this concept than Michael Jackson, the “King of Pop,” whose career was defined by record-breaking achievement and worldwide cultural influence.
Executed in 2010, shortly after Jackson’s passing, the work carries added historical resonance. Fragmented musical artifacts are reassembled into a unified image, transforming broken records into a metaphor for legacy, reinvention, and cultural immortality.
The result bridges Pop Art portraiture, street-art energy, and contemporary assemblage, echoing traditions established by Warhol while introducing materially driven innovation unique to Mr. Brainwash’s practice.
