Catherine Millet critiques Basquiat retrospective at Fondation Louis Vuitton

Catherine Millet reviews the Jean-Michel Basquiat retrospective at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris (October 3, 2018 – January 14, 2019), presented alongside an Egon Schiele exhibition. Millet argues that the exhibition overstates Basquiat's originality, comparing him unfavorably to Francis Newton Souza and noting similarities to Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly, Jean Dubuffet, and Fabrice Hyber. She criticizes the oversized galleries for an oeuvre spanning only eight years (1980–1988) and finds many works unworthy of their scale. She praises some pieces like "In this Case" (1983), "Zydeco" (1984), and "Baby Boom" (1982), and highlights the "Griot" section's found-object works. Millet commends Paul Schimmel's catalogue essay for its straightforward account of Basquiat's career, including his early studio in Annina Nosei's basement and his rapid rise among dealers like Larry Gagosian, Mary Boone, Michael Werner, Bruno Bischofberger, and Tony Shafrazi. She concludes that the parallel with Schiele reveals Basquiat's repetitive gestures and that the market-driven myth of genius does a disservice to his legacy.