I AM on paper by Leon Aarts (gifted to C. Cowan)

Final Verdict: ★★★★½ (4.5/5)

A gritty, gripping prototype—"I AM" on paper is Leon Aarts’ Basquiat sketchbook page, his Rauschenberg in miniature, trapping the self in urban scripture before letting it run. Less performative than Running Around in Circles, less epic than End of the Road, but rawer in its restraint—art as confessional graffiti. For poets, prisoners, or anyone who’s ever written "I AM" on a wall and wondered who was watching, it’s essential; this isn’t a declaration—it’s the moment before the breakout.

"He wrote 'I AM' on the wall, then built the wall around it. The spiral turned. The door stayed shut. And the paper held its breath."