Basquiat: A Primitivist New York Alchemy
This publication from Flammarion is linked to the Brooklyn Museum exhibition running from March to June 2005 and includes contributions from four writers who explore the life of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Rising to prominence at the age of twenty in 1981, Basquiat passed away just seven years later. His artwork is characterized by chaotic elements combined with a strong compositional sense, drawing inspiration from jazz, hip-hop, sports, and various cultural references. Influenced by Hispanic and Black heritage, his paintings serve as critiques of Western ideals, beginning with his street art SAMO and evolving into a series of impactful pieces that confront issues like slavery, colonialism, and the experiences of Black men in the U.S., as noted by Kellie Jones.
Key facts
- Book published by Flammarion to accompany the Brooklyn Museum exhibition (March–June 2005).
- Four authors (curators or professors) contribute a novel image of the artist.
- Basquiat is described as the last modernist heir from Picasso to Rauschenberg, Warhol, and Dubuffet.
- He became famous at age twenty in 1981 and died seven years later.
- His work is primitivist, fed by jazz (scat), hip-hop (graffiti, DJ, MC), and sports (boxing, baseball).
- It began with the SAMO tag and graffiti in the street.
- The work features many cabezas (heads) within a network of meanings.
- The book discusses the semiological construction of a 'Black model' (Kellie Jones).
Entities
Artists
- Jean-Michel Basquiat
- Pablo Picasso
- Robert Rauschenberg
- Andy Warhol
- Jean Dubuffet
- Kellie Jones
Institutions
- Brooklyn Museum
- Éditions Flammarion
Locations
- New York
- United States
Sources
- artpress —