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Basquiat
Born in Brooklyn in 1960, Jean-Michel Basquiat lived to the age of only twenty-seven. His meteoric career as an artist had lasted no more than eight years. The one-time teenage runaway and high-school dropout was first included in a group exhibition in 1980, and almost immediately knew considerable success, enjoying his first solo exhibition just two years later. Basquiat quickly became a notable figure on the international art scene, mixing with dealers and artists. Among these was Andy Warhol, with whom he established a close working relationship.
Borrowing from graffiti and street imagery, cartoons, mythology and religious symbolism, Basquiat's drawings and paintings explore issues of race and identity, providing social commentary that is both shrewdly observed and biting. Characterized by their intensely personal nature and the raw, almost aggressive handling of paint, these works have an enduring power to move and to confound.
Viewing the heady world of the 1980s art scene from the beginning of a new century, we are able to look at Basquiat's achievements with increasing objectivity. Rather than explore his persona, this book aims to demonstrate the lasting quality of Basquiat's work itself, as well as its uniqueness within modern art. It strives not only to reevaluate his principal works, but also to explain Basquiat's continuing interest as a major painter.
Borrowing from graffiti and street imagery, cartoons, mythology and religious symbolism, Basquiat's drawings and paintings explore issues of race and identity, providing social commentary that is both shrewdly observed and biting. Characterized by their intensely personal nature and the raw, almost aggressive handling of paint, these works have an enduring power to move and to confound.
Viewing the heady world of the 1980s art scene from the beginning of a new century, we are able to look at Basquiat's achievements with increasing objectivity. Rather than explore his persona, this book aims to demonstrate the lasting quality of Basquiat's work itself, as well as its uniqueness within modern art. It strives not only to reevaluate his principal works, but also to explain Basquiat's continuing interest as a major painter.
- GenresArtNonfictionArt History
224 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2005
12 people are currently reading
679 people want to read
About the author
Jean-Michel Basquiat
72 books87 followersJean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist. He gained popularity, first as a graffiti artist in New York City, and then as a successful 1980s-era Neo-expressionist artist. Basquiat's paintings continue to influence modern day artists and command high prices.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 24, 2014
This is a great introduction/ overview of Basquiat as an artist. Some of the pieces written read better than others, but the large number of rich, colorful pictures (almost) makes up for it.
January 24, 2025
my favorite artist and the best gift i have ever received
October 15, 2011
I've been reading a rather lavish and well-tuned book on the late artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, "Basquiat", edited by Marc Mayer, rich in selection from the painter's brief career. All the same reactions and responses arise, the combination of rank amateurism and visionary determination, broom remains and waste basket scrawls combined with an idealized sense of tribal totem ism that nearly excuses Basquiat's failings as a draftsman.
The late Jean- Michel Basquiat's best trick in his short ascendancy as a painter was that he managed a fusion of street credibility and the gloss of high culture faster and more authentically than did his formally trained mentors. His mentors and inspirations Warhol, Schnabel, DuBuffet and Twombly , among many others, learned the traditions and the techniques of Western Art History in order to undercut them with the cranky, jazzy, electric vibe and artifacts of contemporary urban life. The aim overall was to blur, if not completely destroy the line between a culture's high art practice and accompanying aesthetic and the reality it was created in. Beauty, harmony, balance, and revelations of essential Truths about the Human Spirit were not the motivations for an art created in bombed out neighborhoods and abandoned factory lofts. It was praxis , an applied theory of revolution.Basquiat had no theory other than his instinct for what happened to fit his moment of composition and was interested less in fusion of cultural arrogance than in things he saw that he could use in his work. It definitely was a Hip Hop art, not unrelated to the DJs spinning the music of others in endless mixes, speeds and pitches and speeds to produce something completely new and in the moment. Basquiat appropriated their mannerisms, their studied sense of the incomplete and canvases that are "under construction", and effortlessly, it seem, applied it a graffiti style that was suited for the sides of buildings and freeway overpasses, not gallery walls.
I was never a big fan of Basquiat's paintings, and the praise he's received is , as is the estimation of artists, musicians and or writers who die young, is overblown and overstated. The body of work does not support the complexities ascribed to it; it's more a grand case of reading things into works rather than drawing things from them. Everyone loves a young, beautiful and dead artist if for no reason other than it's a handy way to keep our tenuous definitions and tropes of genius, beauty and justice ( of a kind) in place.
If we may say that someone of a particular gift passed on too young but left evidence of the best expression that the race is capable of, things that live beyond their life, we can maintain our certainties a little longer. The metaphysics of presence is shored up until the next crisis of global conceptualization.
Basquiat's work, though, has a charm that is anything but phony; he has the hallmarks of what is called "outsider" art , or "naive expressionism", the art making of the sensitive but untrained and unprofessional whose awkwardness of line and contour is something genuine in mass culture. It is an interesting display of artists thinking about the world that's given them to draw their energies and phobias from. Basquiat hit the payday, of course, but the faith of graffiti remained at the center of his paintings, which is to say that his bright and garish forms and highlights weren't make the city any prettier or revitalize old notions of harmony.
Rather,it was a way of making the city right-sized, not decoration but instead a note that says that this where he lives, this is what he has passed through, and this location of every nuanced joy and agony a life in Manhattan can give you.
The late Jean- Michel Basquiat's best trick in his short ascendancy as a painter was that he managed a fusion of street credibility and the gloss of high culture faster and more authentically than did his formally trained mentors. His mentors and inspirations Warhol, Schnabel, DuBuffet and Twombly , among many others, learned the traditions and the techniques of Western Art History in order to undercut them with the cranky, jazzy, electric vibe and artifacts of contemporary urban life. The aim overall was to blur, if not completely destroy the line between a culture's high art practice and accompanying aesthetic and the reality it was created in. Beauty, harmony, balance, and revelations of essential Truths about the Human Spirit were not the motivations for an art created in bombed out neighborhoods and abandoned factory lofts. It was praxis , an applied theory of revolution.Basquiat had no theory other than his instinct for what happened to fit his moment of composition and was interested less in fusion of cultural arrogance than in things he saw that he could use in his work. It definitely was a Hip Hop art, not unrelated to the DJs spinning the music of others in endless mixes, speeds and pitches and speeds to produce something completely new and in the moment. Basquiat appropriated their mannerisms, their studied sense of the incomplete and canvases that are "under construction", and effortlessly, it seem, applied it a graffiti style that was suited for the sides of buildings and freeway overpasses, not gallery walls.
I was never a big fan of Basquiat's paintings, and the praise he's received is , as is the estimation of artists, musicians and or writers who die young, is overblown and overstated. The body of work does not support the complexities ascribed to it; it's more a grand case of reading things into works rather than drawing things from them. Everyone loves a young, beautiful and dead artist if for no reason other than it's a handy way to keep our tenuous definitions and tropes of genius, beauty and justice ( of a kind) in place.
If we may say that someone of a particular gift passed on too young but left evidence of the best expression that the race is capable of, things that live beyond their life, we can maintain our certainties a little longer. The metaphysics of presence is shored up until the next crisis of global conceptualization.
Basquiat's work, though, has a charm that is anything but phony; he has the hallmarks of what is called "outsider" art , or "naive expressionism", the art making of the sensitive but untrained and unprofessional whose awkwardness of line and contour is something genuine in mass culture. It is an interesting display of artists thinking about the world that's given them to draw their energies and phobias from. Basquiat hit the payday, of course, but the faith of graffiti remained at the center of his paintings, which is to say that his bright and garish forms and highlights weren't make the city any prettier or revitalize old notions of harmony.
Rather,it was a way of making the city right-sized, not decoration but instead a note that says that this where he lives, this is what he has passed through, and this location of every nuanced joy and agony a life in Manhattan can give you.
August 25, 2007
I'm not sure if there's a correlation between the relative low cost of this catalog ($29.95) and the surprisingly bad reproductions of Basquiat's work, but I'm guessing there is. I guess I'm also partly to blame for having faith that a shrinkwrapped book wouldn't be a disappointment.
While the narrative overview from the Brooklyn Museum could easily have made for a fine catalog, the color mismanagement of so many pieces really undermines the entire project.
I can only really recommend it as an affordable, quick reference guide; but considering the quality, serious collectors would be better advised spending the extra cash for either the stunning The Jean-Michel Basquiat Show or Jean-Michel Basquiat: 1981, The Studio of the Street, both of which are excellent--and more importantly, true to the integrity of the paintings.
While the narrative overview from the Brooklyn Museum could easily have made for a fine catalog, the color mismanagement of so many pieces really undermines the entire project.
I can only really recommend it as an affordable, quick reference guide; but considering the quality, serious collectors would be better advised spending the extra cash for either the stunning The Jean-Michel Basquiat Show or Jean-Michel Basquiat: 1981, The Studio of the Street, both of which are excellent--and more importantly, true to the integrity of the paintings.
June 2, 2015
I bought this book at a Basquiat exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum during a recent work trip to the east coast. I had seen Julian Schnabel's movie about him, but other than that, I knew very little. The exhibit and the book did much to enlighten me about this creative and doomed young man. The photos in the book alone tell so much about Basquiat. I think one reason I love Basquiat is because of his wedding of word and image (which are found close together in my own imagination). The articles in the book were for the most part good, although occasionally devolving into academic obscurantism. For the most part, this book's value lies in its many wonderful images of Basquiat's creative work.
September 16, 2010
This is a great series- great color and really a great primer to any artists's work that has one published. I am new to Basquiat, but the name gets thrown around a lot here at Alfred at crits, esp when text is involved.
April 4, 2011
I am fascinated by Basquait after seeing a recent documentary on his work. I wish the analysis of his paintings in this book were a little more in depth and informative. But I still enjoyed reading it and studying the paintings.
April 20, 2009
All over the place. Some great, some not so much so, but all seem political.
You can tell, in a good way where he was coming from.
Needless to say, very Warhol-esk.
You can tell, in a good way where he was coming from.
Needless to say, very Warhol-esk.
December 3, 2022
Enjoyed it---made Basquiat's work more understandable to me. Lots of color pictures of his work.
April 19, 2016
great stuff. plate pix a little bit out of sequence. but great description of his brilliance. Icons. Spells. Collage. I'm a fan now!
June 25, 2017
Great introduction to Basquiat's work and life. Covers important territory without getting caught up in minutiae. Reproductions are vivid and clear.
August 30, 2020
Having always been fascinated by Basquiat I took some time in choosing an overview of his work, as I wanted something that brought his work under greater artistic scrutiny or perhaps approached isolated pieces from a differing paradigm of interpretation. In this respect I was mildly disappointed as there is nothing of any notable significance in this regard. The information herein is well presented however, if a little disjointed and non-linear at times. Whilst the photographic reproductions of his work are commendable in some regards, the colour reproduction does not hold true. It was perhaps a little naive of me to think that an off the shelf book would render the original colours more faithfully. That said, this is still an exceptional introduction to Basquiat's oeuvre for anyone unaquainted or less familiar with his body of work, and the information herein is sound and concise for the most part.
On reflection, the title is well worth the money. An enjoyable and accessible exploration of an iconic artist in his element.
On reflection, the title is well worth the money. An enjoyable and accessible exploration of an iconic artist in his element.
January 5, 2021
"Enwezor reminds us that the diaspora is a place caught, at different times and to various degrees, between "speech and its attendant untranslatability""
This book provides access to the diaspora of Basquiat. Before reading I had a hard time connecting with Basquiat art. It often felt like a big ball of string - that you can't quite locate the beginning to unravel. Now I have a beginning, an enter point, an appreciation.
The information about Henry Dreyfuss - Symbol Sourcebook (which is one of favourite books) was the code breaker to Basquiat work. Like learning a new language. The Symbol Sourcebook suddenly was able to recognize and define what were indistinguishable marks as symbols.
And now the narrative can begin.
Where can I go to see these art works in person (so I too can complain about the cheap printing quality and color representation)?
This book provides access to the diaspora of Basquiat. Before reading I had a hard time connecting with Basquiat art. It often felt like a big ball of string - that you can't quite locate the beginning to unravel. Now I have a beginning, an enter point, an appreciation.
The information about Henry Dreyfuss - Symbol Sourcebook (which is one of favourite books) was the code breaker to Basquiat work. Like learning a new language. The Symbol Sourcebook suddenly was able to recognize and define what were indistinguishable marks as symbols.
And now the narrative can begin.
Where can I go to see these art works in person (so I too can complain about the cheap printing quality and color representation)?
March 5, 2021
If I'm honest, I struggle with Basquiat's work. There is absolutely no doubting his talent as a draughtsman and colourist, and the energy, intelligence and wit in many of his paintings is incredible. However, I found this book somewhat tedious in its unadulterated hero worship, and some of the essays were filled with so much sycophancy and pseudo intellectual 'art speak', it made my eyes glaze over. It does offer generously sized and beautifully printed images of Basquiat's work to mull over, though, so 3 stars.
January 23, 2019
I just really, really enjoy Jean-Michel Basquiats artwork and reading essays of different journalists and artists discussing his work in relation to different cultural topics and movements was really exciting and interesting. I knew a lot of what is in this book before reading this since I wrote a course work on Basquiat a couple of years ago but still so enjoyable. This will be a definite reread.
Read
October 30, 2020my solo travel to Paris!
January 26, 2022
i HATE how white people write about Jean-Michel. Need i say more?
January 4, 2023
The illustrations are outstanding. It's like having your own portable museum.
April 24, 2024
such art that makes you straighten your backbone and smile for a while.
November 20, 2018
My favorite out of all the books featuring the works of Jean-Michele Basquiat. Inspiring. Comprehensive.
November 28, 2020
Brilliant artwork and a great body of his work. Shame the author comes across extremely pretentious in my humble opinion. I just get the feeling if he was alive he would have been like.. really?!?
August 13, 2007
great to leave on the coffee table and leaf through.
Read
August 16, 2009Gorgeous huge art book . Picking up things at the library I never would have looked at before...
March 25, 2012
The collection was amazing to see in person...had the honor when it was here at the MFAH....
July 27, 2012
I bought this book for a class and it is inspiration to look at but found it a bit boring to read
January 14, 2013
Mooi verzameld werk.
August 14, 2013
Fascinating
March 22, 2019
Basquiat presented by JPMorgan Chase and the Brooklyn Museum
See: PBS, American Masters "Basquiat: Rage to Riches"2018
See: PBS, American Masters "Basquiat: Rage to Riches"2018
February 8, 2024
Whenever I feel inhibitions rising I skim this book and I’m reminded to let go
April 17, 2017
Very informative articles and as always love basquiat
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews