August 23, 2015

JEAN MICHEL BASQUIAT: NOW’S THE TIME AT THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBA0




JEAN MICHEL BASQUIAT: NOW’S THE TIME AT 
THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBA0
July 3, 2015 – November 1, 2015




JEAN MICHEL BASQUIAT: NOW’S THE TIME AT THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBA0
July 3, 2015 – November 1, 2015   
 - Curators: Dieter Buchhart and Álvaro Rodríguez Fominaya (Bilbao)
 - The exhibition features approximately one hundred key works organized around the themes that inspired Jean-Michel Basquiat in the course of his intense career, cut short by his untimely death at age 27 
 - Described by the artist himself as a “springboard to deeper truths about the individual”, Basquiat’s powerful and emotionally charged works explore issues such as racial identity and history  
 - Though Basquiat soon left the conceptual graffiti of his early days behind to exhibit in art galleries, his paintings use the language and symbols of the street, creating images that honor black men as kings and saints 
 - As an artist, he immersed himself in high art and graffiti, jazz and rap, punk and pop culture, anatomy textbooks and comics, and then channeled this complexity into sophisticated, layered works that presaged today’s internet culture  
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is pleased to present Jean - Michel Basquiat: Now’s the Time , an unprecedented exhibition in Europe that includes roughly one hundred large-scale paintings and drawings from public and private collections across the United States and Europe. This show, organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario in collaboration with the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, is the first thematic examination of Basquiat’s output and has been made possible by the generous sponsorship of Iberdrola. 
Already famous at the age of 20 for his groundbreaking drawings and paintings, Jean-Michel Basquiat (b. 1960– d. 1988) took the New York art world by storm in the early 1980s. He gained international recognition by creating powerful and expressive works that confronted issues of racism, politics, and social hypocrisy. Although his career was cut short by his untimely death at age 27, his works remain hugely influential. Described by the artist himself as a “springboard to deeper truths about the individual”, Basquiat’s vivid and poignant work regularly referenced street art, given his beginnings in conceptual graffiti and his use of salvaged materials such as abandoned doors and packing crates as canvases. 
FROM THE STREET TO STARDOM
In 1976, Basquiat and his friend Al Diaz began spray-painting the walls of lower Manhattan under the pseudonym SAMO©, a reference to the saying “same old shit”. Their work cleverly used and manipulated text with the intention of provoking passers-by. Basquiat’s renown quickly grew as he started a rock band, appeared in Edo Bertoglio’s indie film Downtown 81 , and struck up a friendship with Andy Warhol. His first solo show, held in 1982 when he was just 21, sold out.  
As a result of this sudden popularity, he found himself socializing and sharing ideas with celebrities like David Bowie and Madonna, whom he dated for a short time. He also appeared in music videos and was featured on the cover of The New York Times Magazine . Now, 27 years after his death, his influence endures. 
Basquiat’s innovative and provocative artistic approach translated the 1980s New York scene into a radical visual language that tackled issues of racism, class struggle, social hypocrisy, and black history. Inspired as much by high art—such as Abstract Expressionism and Conceptualism—as by hip hop, jazz, sports, comics, and graffiti, he used recurring motifs to explore issues that he constantly grappled with in his own art and life. 
You may visit Jean Michel Basquiat’s past exhibition news at Gagosian Gallery New York USA to click below link.

http://mymagicalattic.blogspot.com.tr/2013/02/jean-michel-basquiat-s-exhibition-views.html




‘’DUALITIES AND DOUBLE IDENTITIES‘’ AND ‘’PLAYING THE TRICKSTER: 
CARTOONS AND PROVOCATIONS‘’
In Gallery 307, under the title “Dualities and Double Identities”, we see how Basquiat paired individuals and objects in ambiguous relationships to create tension and challenge perceptions. Although it has often been said that Basquiat inhabited two worlds at once, as an “insideroutsider”, for the artist the notion of duality was something complex, related not only to his own identity but also to social systems of wealth and class. In these works, Basquiat recast ideas of black and white, dark and light, challenging conventions and standard perceptions of good and evil. Some of those paintings reveal deep-seated conflicts, while others offer images of companionship.  
By combining disparate elements in a single work of art, Basquiat also suggested that opposing forces can be united to form a whole. Among the masterpieces displayed here are Six Crimee (1982) and Dark Milk (1986), of which the poet Rene Ricard said, “The startling wit of his juxtapositions can throw a beam of recognition on the events surrounding us.” 
The other theme featured in this gallery is something that characterized the artist’s entire career: “Playing the Trickster: Cartoons and Provocations”. On this subject, the curator and art historian Richard D. Marshall noted that Basquiat saw in these popular cartoons and consumer items a deeper reflection of institutionalized racism. Growing up, Basquiat excelled at art and wanted to be a cartoonist. In these works, he appropriated and repurposed cartoon images for his own subversive acts of storytelling.  
The artist provided multiple entry points for viewers, and the works’ pared-down, familiar qualities make them approachable. In these pieces dripping with irony, Basquiat places recognizable symbols in dialogue with serious social issues. Although the figures may appear comical on the surface, he also highlights their more sadistic features, and his characters act as tricksters—deities with secret knowledge who break the rules and flout convention. Like the artist himself, these works take on multiple forms and refuse to play just one role. This is exemplified by pieces like Exu (1988) and a work in the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao Collection, Man from Naples (1982). 





EXU 1988 ( DETAIL )




DUALITIES AND DOUBLE IDENTITIES
“The startling wit of his juxtapositions can throw a beam of recognition on the events surrounding.”
 Rene Ricard, poet and artist




EXU 1988
Acrylic and Oil Stick on Canvas,
Dimensions: 199.3 x 254 cm
Private Collection
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Licensed by Artestar, New York




SIX CRIMEE 1982
Acrylic and Oil Stick on Masonite Three Panels
Dimensions: 183 x 366 x 2.5 cm
Overall The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, The Scott D.F. Spiegel Collection 
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York




A PANEL OF EXPERTS 1982 
Acrylic and Oil Pastel on Paper Mounted on Canvas
Dimensions: 152.4 x 152.4 x 4.5 cm 
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts  Gift of Ira Young 
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat  Licensed by Artestar, New York




MAN FROM NAPLES 1982 
Acrylic and Collage on Wood 
Dimensions: 122 x 244.5 cm
Guggenheim Bilbao Museoa
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York






DARK MILK 1986
Acrylic, Xerox Collage, and Paper Collage on Canvas
Dimensions: 172.5 x 219.5 cm
Private Collection Photo Courtesy Gagosian Gallery
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York




NUMBER 4 - 1981
Acrylic, Oilstick, and Paper Collage on Canvas
Dimensions: 167 x 137 cm
Collection Andre Sakhai, Courtesy Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York
Photo by Jason Wyche
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York




EARLY WORK: ‘’STREET AS STUDIO‘’ & ‘’HEROES AND SAINTS‘’
The show is divided into eight different sections on the Museum’s third floor and begins in Gallery 305, where his earliest creations are displayed under two themes: “Street as Studio” and “Heroes and Saints”. The urban landscape inspired the subject matter, approach, and materials used in these pieces. Born in Brooklyn to a Haitian father and a Puerto Rican-American mother, at age 17 Basquiat made his debut on the New York art scene with conceptual graffiti. Political, poetic, and funny, these provocative messages were created by Basquiat and his friend Al Diaz, who worked together under the pseudonym SAMO©.  
Basquiat did not consider himself a graffiti artist; he merely used spray paint as a crowbar to pry open the doors of the art world. He soon began to work with materials he found on the street: discarded foam, windows, and doors. In his distinctive style, Basquiat transcribed the city—with its cars, planes, trains, and sidewalk games—into these innovative early works, bringing the poetry of the street into the gallery. Highlights of this section include Untitled/Ca r Crash (1981) and Number 4 (1981). 
Commenting on those ironic images, Basquiat’s fellow artist and erstwhile collaborator Francesco Clemente stated: “Jean-Michel’s crown has three peaks, for his three royal lineages: the poet, the musician, the great boxing champion. Jean measured his skill against all he deemed strong, without prejudice as to their taste or age.” 
Basquiat challenged Western history by creating images that honor black men as kings and saints. The artist used a crown, his signature recurring motif, to portray his heroes—renowned athletes, musicians, and writers—in a majestic light. Inspired by their accomplishments, Basquiat believed he was carrying on the work of this noble lineage, and he often depicted himself wearing the same crown in his self-portraits. Basquiat’s crown is a changeable symbol: at times a halo and at others a crown of thorns, emphasizing the martyrdom that often goes hand in hand with sainthood. For Basquiat, these heroes and saints are warriors, occasionally rendered triumphant with arms raised in victory. This aspect of his work is illustrated in Busted Atlas 2 (1982), Untitled (1982), and Dark Race Horse – Jesse Owens (1983). 




UNTITLED 1982
Acrylic and Oil on Linen
Dimensions: 193 x 239 cm
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam
Photogapher: Studio Tromp, Totterdam
© The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York
THE RING 1981
Acrylic on Canvas
Dimensions: 152.4 x 121.9 cm
Private Collection, Courtesy Acquavella Galleries
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York






THE RING 1981 ( DETAIL )




UNTITLED ( CAR CRASH ) 1980
Acrylic and Oilstick on Burlap 
Dimensions: 104.1 x 179.1 cm. 
© The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York

  


STREET AS STUDIO
“Basquiat’s canvases captured his soul and the soul of the streets.”






BUSTED ATLAS 2, 1982 -1982
Acrylic on Canvas
Dimensions: 152.4 x 152.4 cm.
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Licensed by Artestar, New York






DARK RACE HORSE – JESSE OWENS 1983
 Acrylic and Oil Stick on Canvas 
Dimensions: 213.5 x 91.5 cm
Collection of the Jean-Michel Basquiat Estate
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York




LOIN 1982
Acrylic and Oil Stick on Canvas
Dimensions: 183 x 122 cm 
Private Collection, Courtesy Acquavella Galleries
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York








BASQUIAT AND WARHOL: THE ODD COUPLE OF THE ART WORLD
The show continues in Gallery 303, where visitors will find an impressive selection of works produced by Basquiat in collaboration with Andy Warhol, Francesco Clemente, Keith Haring, and Kenny Scharf. Deeply involved in the New York cultural scene of the 1980s, Basquiat participated in a number of collaborative projects with other artists, musicians, and filmmakers.  
At a time when fame and fortune had made friendships difficult and isolation a harsh reality, Basquiat found a trusted advisor, confidant, and equal in Andy Warhol, by then a veteran of the art world. Warhol in turn was inspired by Basquiat’s immense energy and exuberant creativity. In 1984 and 1985, the two collaborated on a series of works that combine their distinctive styles in silkscreen and painting, an innovative and prolific partnership which ultimately accounted for a tenth part of Basquiat’s entire oeuvre. Ronnie Cutrone, Warhol’s friend and studio assistant, described this collaboration: “It was like some crazy art-world marriage and they were the odd couple. The relationship was symbiotic. Jean-Michel thought he needed Andy’s fame, and Andy thought he needed Jean-Michel’s new blood. Jean-Michel gave Andy a rebellious image again.” The large-scale works shown in this gallery include Win $1,000,000 (1984) and Sin More! (1985).  





Win $ 1'000'000 - 1984
Acrylic on Canvas
Dimensions: 170 x 288.5 cm
Collection Bischofberger, Switzerland
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York








AILING ALI IN FIGHT OF LIFE 1984
Acrylic on Canvas 
Dimensions: 193 x 267 cm
Collection Bischofberger, Switzerland
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York






SIN MORE 1984 -1985




COLLABORATIONS
“It was like some crazy art-world marriage and they were the odd couple. The relationship was symbiotic. Jean-Michel thought he needed Andy’s fame, and Andy thought he needed Jean-Michel’s new blood. Jean-Michel gave Andy a rebellious image again.”
– Ronnie Cutrone, Warhol’s long-time studio assistant






THE NILE 1983
Acrylic and Oil Paintstick on Canvas Mounted on Wood Support
Collection Enrico Navarra
© The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat/ADAGP, Paris, ARS, New York 2013




JEAN MICHEL BASQUIAT: NOW’S THE TIME AT THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBA0
July 3, 2015 – November 1, 2015   
Iberdrola is pleased and proud to support the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao's production of Jean-Michel Basquiat: Now's the Time, one of the most important exhibitions ever devoted to this American artist and the first thematic examination of his output. 
Though Basquiat was only active for a brief period in the 1980s, he produced one of the most remarkable bodies of work of the 20th century, with a formal and conceptual appeal that continues to fascinate audiences today. He combined images and texts in a unique style—mixing hieroglyphics and comics, high and low culture—to present a revealing vision of the world tinged with pain. 
Basquiat’s creations are manifestos that denounce inequality, racism, prejudice, and discrimination and defend the values of freedom, dignity, and respect. His art is steeped in music and poetry, harmoniously combining elements of everyday life with classic works of art, literature and music, anatomical drawings, and references to the world of sports, history (especially Afro-American history), life and death. 
Throughout his brief, precocious career, Basquiat never stopped creating. Once, when asked about his prolific output, the artist replied that he simply did not know what else to do with himself. In other words, for him art was a necessity.  
We hope and trust that visitors who come to the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao will enjoy this exhibition, a tribute to Basquiat’s brilliant and meteoric career. I congratulate the Museum and everyone who made it possible for this show to travel from Ontario, Canada, to our city, giving us a chance to enjoy the extraordinary work of this artist and takes its social message to heart.  

Ignacio S. Galán Chairman of Iberdrola  










THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBAO




THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBAO
Outsıde the Museum
Surrounded by attractive avenues and squares, the Museum is located in a newly developed area of the city, leaving its industrial past behind. The Museum plaza and main entrance lie in a direct line with Calle Iparragirre—one of the main streets running diagonally through Bilbao—, extending the city center right up the Museum's door. Once in the plaza, visitors access the Hall by making their way down a broad stairway, an unusual feature that successfully overcomes the height difference between the areas alongside the Nervión River, where the Museum stands, and the higher city level. This way, Gehry created a spectacular structure without it rising above the height of adjacent buildings. The highest part of the Museum is crowned by a large skylight in the shape of a metal flower covering the Atrium, one of the building's most characteristic features.
It is possible to walk all the way around the Museum, admiring different configurations from each perspective and also a number of artworks installed outside by artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Eduardo Chillida, Yves Klein, Jeff Koons, or Fujiko Nakaya. The Museum site is crossed at one end by La Salve Bridge that, since 2007, supports the sculpture commissioned from Daniel Buren entitled Arcos rojos / Arku Gorriak. Stretching under the bridge, gallery 104—an enormous, column-free space that houses Richard Serra’s installationThe Matter of Time—ends in a tower, a sculpture gesture that brings the architectural design to a crescendo that appears to envelop the colossal bridge and effectively incorporates it into the building.
Inside the Museum
Once inside the Hall, visitors access the Atrium, the real heart of the Museum and one of the signature traits of Frank Gehry's architectural design. With curved volumes and large glass curtain walls that connect the inside and the outside, the Atrium is an ample space flooded with light and covered by a great skylight. The three levels of the building are organized around the Atrium and are connected by means of curved walkways, titanium and glass elevators, and staircases. Also an exhibition space, the Atrium functions as an axis for the 20 galleries, some orthogonally shaped and with classical proportions and others with organic, irregular lines. The play with different volumes and perspectives generates indoor spaces where visitors do not feel overwhelmed. Such variety has demonstrated its enormous versatility in the expert hands of curators and exhibition designers who have found the ideal atmosphere to present both large format works in contemporary mediums and smaller or more intimate shows.
In addition to the gallery space and a separate office building, the Museum has a visitor orientation room, Zero Espazioa; an auditorium seating 300; a store/bookstore; a cafeteria; and two restaurants: a bistro and a one Michelin star haute cuisine restaurant.
http://www.guggenheim-bilbao.es/en/the-building/inside-the-museum/
























THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBAO










 ‘’SAMPLING AND SCRATCHING: MUSIC, WORDS, AND COLLAGE‘’
The show concludes in Gallery 302 with another pivotal theme in Basquiat’s career, “Sampling and Scratching: Music, Words, and Collage”. The very title of this exhibition alludes to Charlie Parker and Martin Luther King. Basquiat found inspiration in everything around him; he was an avid reader and often listened to music or watched television while painting.  
The artist immersed himself in high art and graffiti, jazz and rap, punk and pop culture, medical textbooks and comics, and then channeled this complexity into sophisticated, layered works that presaged today’s internet culture. Music was a huge influence. Sampling from a vast array of sources, Basquiat employed a poetic freestyle approach that embodied the spirit of hip hop, whose rise paralleled his own. Producing densely collaged images as well as works featuring a single, provocative phrase, Basquiat pieced together symbols and texts to realize an artistic vision as multifarious as his sources. In the words of the critic Franklin Sirmans, “Basquiat synthesized performance, music, and visual art in a way that was then unprecedented and is now unparalleled.” Eroica (1987) and Oreo (1988) are examples of the works on display in this section. 




OREO 1988
Acrylic on Canvas
Dimensions: 126 x 100.5cm.
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York




EROICA 1987
Acrylic, Oil Stick, and Xerox Collage on Paper Mounted on Canvas
Dimensions: 228.5 x 271.5 cm 
Private Collection 
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York




FROGMEN 1983 ( DETAIL )




FROGMEN 1983
Acrylic, Oil Paintstick, Paper, and Color Copy Paper on Canvas
Dimensions: 121.9 x 470.5 cm
© The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat/ADAGP, Paris, ARS, New York




FROGMEN 1983 ( DETAIL )




‘’SAMPLING AND SCRATCHING: MUSIC, WORDS, AND COLLAGE‘’
“It is Basquiat’s overall inventiveness in marrying text and image – with words cut, pasted, recycled, scratched out and repeated – that speaks out to the innovation inherent in the hip hop moment of the late 1970s.”
– Franklin Sirmans, curator




DIAGRAM OF THE ANKLE ( THE ANKLE ) 1982 ( DETAIL )




DIAGRAM OF THE ANKLE ( THE ANKLE ) 1982
Xeroxed Paper, Canvas, Oil Stick, and Acrylic on Hinged Panels
Dimensions: 152.4 × 304.801 cm
Image Provided by Yale University Art Gallery /
© Jean-Michel Basquiat / Artists Rights Society (ARS),




DIAGRAM OF THE ANKLE ( THE ANKLE ) 1982 ( DETAIL )




MOSES AND THE EGYPTIANS 1982
Acrylic and Oil Stick on Canvas
Dimensions: 185 x 137 cm
Guggenheim Bilbao Museoa Gift, Bruno Bischofberger, Zurich
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York




‘’RECLAIMING HISTORIES‘’ & ‘’MIRRORING‘’
The exhibition continues in Gallery 305 with two new themes: “Reclaiming Histories” and “Mirroring”. 
The pieces in the first section seem to address events unfolding today in the United States. Like the signs recently carried by protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, and across North America, Basquiat’s works insist that black lives matter. The artist dealt with racism and social hypocrisy on a daily basis: he was celebrated by the art world but unable to catch a cab in New York City. He channeled these experiences into powerful paintings that draw on narratives of black history and the African diaspora.  
His layered canvases explore slavery and colonialism while also connecting these historic persecutions to current racist practices like police brutality. After the death of his friend and fellow graffiti artist Michael Stewart, Jean-Michel Basquiat reflected, “It could have been me. It could have been me.” Choosing to confront these histories, Basquiat became an agent of change through works like Water Worshipper (1984) and, from the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao Collection, Moses and the Egyptians (1982).  
The “Mirroring” section reveals how Basquiat identified deeply with the individuals depicted in his paintings. His portraits explore issues of identity—specifically, black male identity—and can also be seen as mirror images of the artist himself. From his heroes to his friends, Basquiat painted people he related to and admired, conveying what he perceived as their shared experiences in his works.





SELF PORTRAIT
Acrylic on Paper on Board
Dimensions: 91,5 x 61 cm
Collection Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York




IRONY OF A NEGRO POLICEMAN 1981
Acrylic on Canvas
Dimensions: 183 x 122 cm
Private Collection
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York




SELF PORTRAIT 1984
Acrylic and Oil Stick on Paper Mounted on Canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm
Yoav Harlap Collection
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York






 UNDISCOVERED GENIUS OF THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA 1983
Acrylic, Oilstick and Paper Collage on Five Joined Canvases
Dimensions: overall: 124.5 x 471.2 cm.
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York




UNDISCOVERED GENIUS OF THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA 1983 ( DETAIL )




EDUCATIONAL AREAS: JEAN MICHEL BASQUIAT: MORE THAN GRAFFITI
Basquiat was an erudite man whose art encompassed much more than mere graffiti. In order to thoroughly explore his creative process, we have designed an exceptionally ambitious Didaktika project that includes areas for learning through individual observation as well as interactive, hands-on activities related to the artist's work. 
The educational areas of this exhibition are located on the balcony overlooking Gallery 208 and the corridor nearby, and in Galleries 301 and 304.  
In them we attempt to explain how the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat can be seen as an artistic instrument of self-realization, but also a reminder of Afro-American history and a denunciation of political and social injustice in the United States. You will find more information about this and the history of graffiti in the corridor, along with a diagram that reveals Basquiat’s most personal side and his relationships with many fellow artists, like Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, which led to interesting collaborative projects. 
His interest in history, politics, music, and literature is explained through selected texts, images and audiovisual footage featuring the artist himself. Specifically, in Gallery 304 you will be able to watch two films produced by Maripol ( Downtown 81 ) and Tamra Davis ( An Interview with Basquiat ). 
In the same room, you will find audio equipment and a playlist of music related to Basquiat, ranging from the jazz stylings of Miles Davis and Charlie Parker to the rap music of Rammellzee and K-Rob, 80s hits by Blondie, David Bowie, Talking Heads, and Grace Jones, and tracks composed by his own band, Gray. These spaces are complemented by a reading area stocked with books that Basquiat admired or found inspiring, such as Mark Twain's adventure novels, Henry Gray's Anatomy of the Human Bod y , and the poetry of Yeats and William Burroughs.  
Finally, if you visit the Didaktika areas you will also be able to participate in two activities related to the artist's creative process: one about writing and photography in Gallery 301, and another about graffiti that marks the end of the exhibition in Gallery 304. Both activities will be led by gallery hosts. 





FLEXIBLE 1984.
Acrylic and Oil Paintstick on Wood
Dimensions: 
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York






SHE INSTALLS CONFIDENCE & PICKS HIS BRAIN LIKE A SALAD 1987
Acrylic and Oil Paintstick on Wood
Dimensions: 235 x 295 cm
Galerie Yvon Lambert, Paris


















JEAN MICHEL BASQUIAT
Jean-Michel Basquiat (b. 1960–d. 1988) was one of the most revolutionary artists of the 1980s. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Basquiat possessed intelligence and artistic skills, which his mother encouraged since he was very young.
His fame grew with exhibitions throughout North America and Europe, and he quickly became a prolific artist and a cultural celebrity. Whenever he had visitors in his studio or at home, he would paint as they talked, listened to music, or watched television, using the ideas around him as inspiration for his art.
Basquiat broke new ground in contemporary art. His innovative artistic approach continues to inspire artists and raise critical questions today. In a single painting he would reference a number of ideas through symbols, images, or text, which would sometimes have direct relationships, and sometimes would not. Basquiat translated his environment onto the canvas without defined narratives, challenging viewers to think critically about the world around them.
60s
1960 - Born on December 22, the son of a Haitian father, Gérard, and a Puerto Rican mother, Matilde.
70s
1974 - Moves with his family to Puerto Rico for two years for Gérard’s work.
1976 - Back in New York, enrolls at Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn, moving to City-as-School High School, an alternative school that follows an experiential learning model, a few weeks later.
1977 - With graffiti artist Al Díaz, creates the fictitious artist SAMO (short for “same old shit”), signing this name to graffiti spray-painted onbuildings in lower Manhattan that expresses hermetic and, at times, comical, political, religious, and philosophical ideas. Drops out of school.
1978 - Leaves home.
1979 - Forms the band Channel 9 with Michael Holman, Shannon Dawson, and Vincent Gallo.
80s
1980 - Basquiat’s work is shown for the first time, in a group exhibition organized by Collaborative Projects Incorporated (Colab) and the Fashion Gallery in an abandoned building on Forty-first Street and Seventh Avenue in Times Square; the show also includes work by David Hammons, Jenny Holzer, Kenny Scharf, and Kiki Smith.
1981 - Stars in the film Downtown 81, originally titled New York Beat Movie, directed by Edo Bertoglio.
René Ricard writes an article about Basquiat, “The Radiant Child,” for Artforum. 1982.
1982 - Has a solo exhibition at Galleria d’Arte Emilio Mazzoli in Modena, Italy.
Basquiat’s work is featured in Transavanguardia: Italia– America, at Galleria Civica del Comune di Modena in Modena, Italy, together with artists such as Sandro Chia, Francesco Clemente, Enzo Cucchi, David Deutsch, David Salle, and Julian Schnabel.
Has his first solo exhibition in the United States, at Annina Nosei Gallery in New York.
Has solo exhibitions at Galerie Bruno Bischofberger in Zurich, Marlborough Gallery in New York, and Gagosian Gallery in Los Angeles.
Participates in Documenta 7 in Kassel, Germany. Meets Andy Warhol.
1984 - Creates a series of works with Warhol and Clemente.
A selection of Basquiat’s paintings from the previous three years is displayed at the Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh and later at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London and the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam.
1985 - Exhibits at Galerie Bruno Bischofberger in Zurich, Mary Boone Gallery in New York, and Akira Ikeda Gallery in Tokyo.
Basquiat’s photograph is featured on the cover of the New York Times Magazine, illustrating the article “New Art, New Money: The Marketing of an American Artist.”
1987 - Exhibits at Galerie Daniel Templon in Paris. Warhol’s death on February 22 profoundly affects Basquiat; he creates the work Gravestone in Warhol’s memory.
1988 - Has solo exhibitions at Vrej Baghoomian Gallery in New York, Galerie Yvon Lambert in Paris, and Galerie Hans Mayer in Düsseldorf.
The Kestnergesellschaft Hannover displays over sixty works by Basquiat.After a stay in Hawaii attempting to cure his drug addiction, Basquiat is found dead in his apartment in New York on August 12, apparently due to an overdose of a combination of drugs.









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