Jean Michel Basquiat

Basquiat was born on December 22, 1960 in Brooklyn, NYC, from a Haitian father (Gerard Basquiat) and a Brooklyn born Puerto Rican mother (Matild).

As a young child Basquiat displayed an excellent talent for art. Today Basquiat ranks among the most expensive artists. Influenced by graffiti, urban art, as well as primitive art; he is commonly described as a Neo-expressionist artist.

Catharsis 1983 triptych, acrylic on canvas, 72-3/8 x 92-7/8 inches

"Untitled (Angel)," by Jean-Michel Basquiat, acrylic on canvas, 96 by 169 inches, 1982

"Untitled"

Unlike the average graffiti artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat came to personify the art scene of the 80s, with its merging of youth culture, money, hype, excess, and self-destruction. Paintings and drawings that conjured up marginal urban black culture and black history, as well as the artist's own conflicted sense of identity.

In 1977, along with a friend Al Diaz, Basquiat started to spray painting cryptic sayings on subway trains and around lower Manhattan.
In 1982, Basquiat met Andy Warhol and became close friends. Therefore they collaborated on a various range of works. They painted together influencing each other's work. Their relationship continued until Warhol's death in 1987. His drug addiction and depression increased after the death of this artistic soulmate, driving him to death.

Michael Hasband photograph.

In 1996 a brilliant movie relating his life came out : "Basquiat". The performance of the actors, among those the performance of David Bowie who played Warhol, was saluted by the critics.

Quote to remember :
"Believe it or not, I can actually draw."

More about Jean-Michel Basquiat :
http://www.basquiat.net/