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Basquiat : L'Enfant Rayonnant
"…a beautifully illustrated hardcover book... Inside you'll find the story of Basquiat's life relayed in a quick-to-read, visually dazzling fashion." -Forbes.com
Cool, talented, and transgressive, Jean-Michel Basquiat's life is just as fascinating as the work he produced. Delve into 1980s New York as this vivid graphic novel takes you on Basquiat's journey from street-art legend SAMO to international art-scene darling, up until his sudden death. Told through cinematic scenes, this is Basquiat as seen through the eyes of those who knew him, including his father, Suzanne Mallouk, Larry Gagosian, and, most importantly, the man himself. Basquiat is a moving depiction of a troubled artist's life for those interested in both the art and the man who made it.
Cool, talented, and transgressive, Jean-Michel Basquiat's life is just as fascinating as the work he produced. Delve into 1980s New York as this vivid graphic novel takes you on Basquiat's journey from street-art legend SAMO to international art-scene darling, up until his sudden death. Told through cinematic scenes, this is Basquiat as seen through the eyes of those who knew him, including his father, Suzanne Mallouk, Larry Gagosian, and, most importantly, the man himself. Basquiat is a moving depiction of a troubled artist's life for those interested in both the art and the man who made it.
128 pages, Hardcover
Published April 24, 2019
17 people are currently reading
364 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
December 7, 2019
Prior to reading Parisi's graphic biography my limited knowledge of Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) was that he was an acclaimed New York City-based artist during the 80's before an early death from a drug overdose. Unfortunately, I did not really learn much more after finishing this book. While the illustrations were very colorful and attention-grabbing the storyline itself was choppy and felt sort of superficial, with an emphasis on style rather than substance. However, it was nice to see Andy Warhol and Keith Haring (both Pennsylvania natives - woot woot!) in supporting roles.
July 6, 2019
Basquiat's story is told from the perspective of those who knew him. Therein lies the problem with this book, there is no narrative and very little story. The book jarringly jumps from perspective to perspective without telling a linear story. I feel like I don't know much more now about Basquiat's life than I did before. The storytelling is really hard to follow and focused on his art shows more than actually showing his art or even important works of his. I wanted to know more about Basquiat not who hosted his art shows. I did like the art although the bright, garish colors don't seem indicative of what I've seen of Basquiat's art.
Received a review copy from Laurence King Publishing Ltd and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
Received a review copy from Laurence King Publishing Ltd and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
November 18, 2022
I liked the bright colours! If I knew nothing about Basquiat and Warhol and New York in the eighties, what would I think of this colourful overview?
At times poignant and at times banal, the subject here eludes the biographer — perhaps much is lost in translation, from American culture to French, from French to British English, rendered in graphic format.
All the high points are echoed but ... but the subject slips away. Still, it remain shocking that this young artist flared across the art scene only from roughly 1981 to his death in 1988 and yet made such a lasting impression. He remains fascinating and enigmatic.
At times poignant and at times banal, the subject here eludes the biographer — perhaps much is lost in translation, from American culture to French, from French to British English, rendered in graphic format.
All the high points are echoed but ... but the subject slips away. Still, it remain shocking that this young artist flared across the art scene only from roughly 1981 to his death in 1988 and yet made such a lasting impression. He remains fascinating and enigmatic.
February 14, 2020
This is a well designed book telling the highlights of Basquait's short life in a series of vignettes.
The writer uses the graphic format well. The panels use a limited palette -only the four colors on the cover. The font in the dialog balloons in is easy to read (a pet peeve of mine is that graphic text fonts often make it difficult for the reader). The chapter dividers match the graphic panels in color and style. Basquait communicates to the reader through hand written letters.
The best vignettes in both graphics and text are:
- opening which is the notification of his death to his father
- his relationships with art dealers
- his experience with Andy Warhol and
- time spent on Maui.
In a book of stunning art work, these are my favorites:
p. 13- portraits 1967-1987
pp. 39 & 40 - Basquait's relationship with Suzanne and her apartment
p. 46 - Charlie Parker
p. 49 - the first of several good impressions of Warhol
pp. 58 & 59 - representations of the business of art
p. 66 -magazine cover
pp. 94 & 95 - the death of Warhol
p. 104 & 104 - solitude
pp. 112 - 119 - Maui
The writer uses the graphic format well. The panels use a limited palette -only the four colors on the cover. The font in the dialog balloons in is easy to read (a pet peeve of mine is that graphic text fonts often make it difficult for the reader). The chapter dividers match the graphic panels in color and style. Basquait communicates to the reader through hand written letters.
The best vignettes in both graphics and text are:
- opening which is the notification of his death to his father
- his relationships with art dealers
- his experience with Andy Warhol and
- time spent on Maui.
In a book of stunning art work, these are my favorites:
p. 13- portraits 1967-1987
pp. 39 & 40 - Basquait's relationship with Suzanne and her apartment
p. 46 - Charlie Parker
p. 49 - the first of several good impressions of Warhol
pp. 58 & 59 - representations of the business of art
p. 66 -magazine cover
pp. 94 & 95 - the death of Warhol
p. 104 & 104 - solitude
pp. 112 - 119 - Maui
November 25, 2019
'Basquiat: A Graphic Novel' written and illustrated by Paolo Parisi is a graphic novel biography of the famous artist.
Told from a few different perspectives, the story begins with Jean-Michel Baquiat's father finding out about his death, then jumping back and forth to tell the story. Basquiat started as a street-art legend known as SAMO. He was involved in a lot of the underground scene of New York in the early 1980s. He rose to fame, and made money, but had a troubled life.
The color palette for this book is very distinct, and I really loved what was done. The story was divided up in to chapters based on articles or incidents. I really liked the changing narrators in the story. The book ends with a bibliography including music and films that Basquiat created.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Laurence King Publishing Ltd. in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Told from a few different perspectives, the story begins with Jean-Michel Baquiat's father finding out about his death, then jumping back and forth to tell the story. Basquiat started as a street-art legend known as SAMO. He was involved in a lot of the underground scene of New York in the early 1980s. He rose to fame, and made money, but had a troubled life.
The color palette for this book is very distinct, and I really loved what was done. The story was divided up in to chapters based on articles or incidents. I really liked the changing narrators in the story. The book ends with a bibliography including music and films that Basquiat created.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Laurence King Publishing Ltd. in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
January 26, 2021
A series of vignettes spanning the unfortunately short life of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Being familiar with Basquiat’s work, the 1980s art/film/music scene in NYC and others aspects of his life is definitely a plus, as I didn’t really get too distracted by the fragmented nature of the storytelling because I knew what was happening already. If you want a more in depth bio, look elsewhere, but I enjoyed the style and substance of this.
January 12, 2025
A drug addicted & selfish man-child is given a free place to live and free art equipment in one of the most expensive cities in the world. Despite this, he makes it his mission to find things to complain about. He has the audacity to be angry when the woman letting him stay for free in her house wants notice before he brings his drug addict friends over. To Basquiat, every perceived sleight is damning evidence of racism. I don't know if the author wanted me to walk away liking, admiring, or pitying this guy. He brutally fails on all three counts.
April 20, 2019
I’ll start by saying that I don’t know a lot about art, but I know that I love it and that I admire people who can commit their vision to a canvas (of any kind).
Rendered in bright, clashing color, this graphic novel is a brief biography of Basquiat. Very little time is spent on his childhood; we see his introduction to Gray’s Anatomy (the book), which influenced his art.
Speaking of which, we don’t actually see a lot of his art. Instead, we get a kind of glimpse into different “periods” of his work: where he was exhibiting, who was mentoring or supporting him, how his work was received. There’s not really a dive into what influenced his art during those time frames, and for a novice, it would be helpful to see how his art changed and developed over time. I don’t think that’s the author’s intent though.
The art world of the early 80s in NYC seemed chaotic and out of control, and Basquiat was right in the middle of it. Like many others in the scene, he died far too young.
As a straightforward account of Basquiat’s life, this is a successful work. It made me want to learn more.
I received this book as a digital arc from netgalley.
Rendered in bright, clashing color, this graphic novel is a brief biography of Basquiat. Very little time is spent on his childhood; we see his introduction to Gray’s Anatomy (the book), which influenced his art.
Speaking of which, we don’t actually see a lot of his art. Instead, we get a kind of glimpse into different “periods” of his work: where he was exhibiting, who was mentoring or supporting him, how his work was received. There’s not really a dive into what influenced his art during those time frames, and for a novice, it would be helpful to see how his art changed and developed over time. I don’t think that’s the author’s intent though.
The art world of the early 80s in NYC seemed chaotic and out of control, and Basquiat was right in the middle of it. Like many others in the scene, he died far too young.
As a straightforward account of Basquiat’s life, this is a successful work. It made me want to learn more.
I received this book as a digital arc from netgalley.
April 23, 2019
The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Paolo Parisi did an amazing job.
This graphic novel tells briefly the life of the artist Basquiat throughout illustrations with bright and clashing colours. And I think that what makes the difference are indeed these amazing illustrations which evokes Basquiat's art. It was all very interesting.
This is a must-read for art lovers.
Paolo Parisi did an amazing job.
This graphic novel tells briefly the life of the artist Basquiat throughout illustrations with bright and clashing colours. And I think that what makes the difference are indeed these amazing illustrations which evokes Basquiat's art. It was all very interesting.
This is a must-read for art lovers.
May 29, 2023
Good graphic novel about Basquiat’s short artistic life. Would have been exceptional with some of his artwork in it.
BTW: I met the actor Jeffrey Wright who played Basquiat in Kansas City on July 4, 1998. We played golf together at Iron Horse Golf Club in Leawood. Mr. Wright was in town to shoot “Ride With The Devil.” He was a wonderful person to play golf with and talk to; articulate, intelligent, friendly and highly disciplined. He had only played golf a couple of times and was exceptionally disciplined and good at golf. Anyway, we talked about his role in Basquiat and the fact that the paintings in the movie were all real and owned by Julian Schnabel. He would have shot the movie for one of Basquiat’s canvas artwork. Basquiat’s work was that good and that powerful. So is Mr. Wright’s body of work.
BTW: I met the actor Jeffrey Wright who played Basquiat in Kansas City on July 4, 1998. We played golf together at Iron Horse Golf Club in Leawood. Mr. Wright was in town to shoot “Ride With The Devil.” He was a wonderful person to play golf with and talk to; articulate, intelligent, friendly and highly disciplined. He had only played golf a couple of times and was exceptionally disciplined and good at golf. Anyway, we talked about his role in Basquiat and the fact that the paintings in the movie were all real and owned by Julian Schnabel. He would have shot the movie for one of Basquiat’s canvas artwork. Basquiat’s work was that good and that powerful. So is Mr. Wright’s body of work.
August 8, 2020
3.5 ⭐️
I’ve always loved Basquiat, ever since learning about him in college (20th Century Art, with my very dear Art History professor, Dr. Michael Losch. He has since passed, but he was a phenomenal educator). I appreciate Parisi’s style. I love his illustrations and mimicry of Basquiat’s color palette. This is the second book I’ve read by him - his text his kind of vague and aloof, but poetic. I’d love to learn more specific biographical information about Basquiat - an artistic genius who tragically died far too young. Samo lives on.
I’ve always loved Basquiat, ever since learning about him in college (20th Century Art, with my very dear Art History professor, Dr. Michael Losch. He has since passed, but he was a phenomenal educator). I appreciate Parisi’s style. I love his illustrations and mimicry of Basquiat’s color palette. This is the second book I’ve read by him - his text his kind of vague and aloof, but poetic. I’d love to learn more specific biographical information about Basquiat - an artistic genius who tragically died far too young. Samo lives on.
December 20, 2021
a sweet way to show Basquiat’s life. takes you through the major points in his life. from the documentaries i’ve seen, it does a good job of depicting Basquiat’s feelings and mental state during his milestones.
I think his father’s presence was appropriate to Basquiat’s reality - not always there physically, but ever influencing Basquiat’s life.
I think his father’s presence was appropriate to Basquiat’s reality - not always there physically, but ever influencing Basquiat’s life.
September 23, 2024
I’m not usually a graphic novel person but this was a great way to get me out of my shell and appreciate a new medium. It also reawakened my love for visual art and the interesting lives of artists. I love Basquiat’s work and this book was formatted and illustrated in a style that is aligned with his. Loved !!!
June 15, 2023
WHERE was the plot
June 10, 2023
Wonderfully envisioned and executed in a style that is notably and usefully radically different from Basquiat’s - but even with a rotating series of perspectives in the novel, there also isn’t quite enough.
December 13, 2022
Un objet que je trouve personnellement magnifique, une palette chromatique assez restreinte mais de toute beauté, vive et éclatante. Une récit un peu pauvre mais visuellement, une vraie claque. Pas vraiment une biographie de Basquiat, plutôt un hommage divisé en 4 parties qui représentent chacune un moment clé de la vie de l'artiste. Un récit sombre, donc, mais que je recommande malgré tout.
October 16, 2021
Ik zag nog nooit een echte Basquiat. Buiten het befaamde kroontje en wat rudimentaire kleuren, weet ik zelfs niet wat ik moet verwachten.
Daar is dankzij deze biografie enigszins verandering in gekomen. Naast een deur te openen tot basquiats leven, heeft het me ook warm gemaakt om verder op prospectie uit te gaan.
En dan weet je dat een biografie geslaagd is.
Daar is dankzij deze biografie enigszins verandering in gekomen. Naast een deur te openen tot basquiats leven, heeft het me ook warm gemaakt om verder op prospectie uit te gaan.
En dan weet je dat een biografie geslaagd is.
May 21, 2019
An Advanced Reader Copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
Before I picked up this graphic novel I knew absolutely nothing about Jean-Michel Basquiat. I am torn about whether I want to learn more or just end my inquiry here—and I am not sure if that’s the fault of Basquiat himself or this author.
The narrative skips around between perspective of folks that knew him and Jean-Michel himself. The narrative jumps are so choppy, I often found myself flipping back the page to make sure I didn’t accidentally skip some pages. As you might have guessed, I was not a fan of this style as I felt it distracted from the story.
The art was enjoyable- bright colors clashing together. The palate was primary colors, plus a bright green. I love how the colors entangle, sometimes in shapes, layered on top of the illustrations instead of staying within the lines. I thought some of the most visually stunning pieces were the depictions of Hawaii later in the book.
As far as the story of Basquiat himself—caught in the chaos of the art world of New York City in the 80s. Without exploring intent, motivations, feelings regarding the art, we are left with a dull account of his life. And in this retelling, everything feels rather distant. I didn’t have much sympathy for the artist as he came off rather heartless (who calls a suicide hotline, as a sort of prank(?), just to make a song out of it?). But the author does manage to invoke a despair that seems to be lingering with Basquiat. I could almost feel the nihilism coming off the pages. Unfortunately, this was about all I got. From the little research I have done on the artist, there is more to explore. This is not all there is to his story, and I feel like I was not provided an opportunity to really get inside the head of Basquiat to see why everything shakes out the way it does.
Before I picked up this graphic novel I knew absolutely nothing about Jean-Michel Basquiat. I am torn about whether I want to learn more or just end my inquiry here—and I am not sure if that’s the fault of Basquiat himself or this author.
The narrative skips around between perspective of folks that knew him and Jean-Michel himself. The narrative jumps are so choppy, I often found myself flipping back the page to make sure I didn’t accidentally skip some pages. As you might have guessed, I was not a fan of this style as I felt it distracted from the story.
The art was enjoyable- bright colors clashing together. The palate was primary colors, plus a bright green. I love how the colors entangle, sometimes in shapes, layered on top of the illustrations instead of staying within the lines. I thought some of the most visually stunning pieces were the depictions of Hawaii later in the book.
As far as the story of Basquiat himself—caught in the chaos of the art world of New York City in the 80s. Without exploring intent, motivations, feelings regarding the art, we are left with a dull account of his life. And in this retelling, everything feels rather distant. I didn’t have much sympathy for the artist as he came off rather heartless (who calls a suicide hotline, as a sort of prank(?), just to make a song out of it?). But the author does manage to invoke a despair that seems to be lingering with Basquiat. I could almost feel the nihilism coming off the pages. Unfortunately, this was about all I got. From the little research I have done on the artist, there is more to explore. This is not all there is to his story, and I feel like I was not provided an opportunity to really get inside the head of Basquiat to see why everything shakes out the way it does.
October 12, 2025
Truly a well-put-together graphic.
I have some faults I would say I have found, however, this is a wet foot in the art world type of book. I loved feeling like I was a part of this story.
To love:
I found myself reading this book with my led lights at night and listening to the GRAY soundtrack from the band Basquiat was in. I learned a lot about him that you can add visuals to. Many people may not feel the same however, I have found a sense of understanding when I can see the characters be so... normal.
I tend to forget these people were just... people. before their names became big and known by all, they were just people. Even after they became famous, I think there is this disconnect from our society from understanding money and health, mental health to be specific. I don't know all I want to yet about Basquiat, however, I do know that I will never call him a rooted Haitian again. I know that it was hard for him to connect to that side of him. He was a New Yorker, that's what he knew, that's who he was. The more I read about him, the more I understand that about him. It was never about where he was from, but how he became of himself.
To hate:
I just hate the way this ended. I thought there would be a slower climax to the ending. I was expecting a talk about what people felt, how they found out he died, how the media reacted or something. We had gotten so much information about what the world around him saw him as, I wanted to know how they reacted when he passed. I wasn't there, it would have been helpful to see what the outside world felt, his dad... we never got the end of the conversation between his dad and the cops. His girlfriend, what was Suzanne feeling? HELLLOOOOOOO RESEARCH!!!!
I have some faults I would say I have found, however, this is a wet foot in the art world type of book. I loved feeling like I was a part of this story.
To love:
I found myself reading this book with my led lights at night and listening to the GRAY soundtrack from the band Basquiat was in. I learned a lot about him that you can add visuals to. Many people may not feel the same however, I have found a sense of understanding when I can see the characters be so... normal.
I tend to forget these people were just... people. before their names became big and known by all, they were just people. Even after they became famous, I think there is this disconnect from our society from understanding money and health, mental health to be specific. I don't know all I want to yet about Basquiat, however, I do know that I will never call him a rooted Haitian again. I know that it was hard for him to connect to that side of him. He was a New Yorker, that's what he knew, that's who he was. The more I read about him, the more I understand that about him. It was never about where he was from, but how he became of himself.
To hate:
I just hate the way this ended. I thought there would be a slower climax to the ending. I was expecting a talk about what people felt, how they found out he died, how the media reacted or something. We had gotten so much information about what the world around him saw him as, I wanted to know how they reacted when he passed. I wasn't there, it would have been helpful to see what the outside world felt, his dad... we never got the end of the conversation between his dad and the cops. His girlfriend, what was Suzanne feeling? HELLLOOOOOOO RESEARCH!!!!
April 22, 2019
A delightful rendering of the genius of Jean-Michel Basquiat's tragically short life.
The art here is top notch, I was particularly impressed by the color palette, which was perhaps the most evocative of its subject that I have ever encountered in a graphic novel.
While the wording and text structure was banal, I didn't consider it problematic, and the author did well articulating both the beauty and tragedy of Basquiat's life.
A must read for both art lovers in the traditional sense and those who consider the graphic novel an art form.
The art here is top notch, I was particularly impressed by the color palette, which was perhaps the most evocative of its subject that I have ever encountered in a graphic novel.
While the wording and text structure was banal, I didn't consider it problematic, and the author did well articulating both the beauty and tragedy of Basquiat's life.
A must read for both art lovers in the traditional sense and those who consider the graphic novel an art form.
October 25, 2020
A unfortunately disappointing retelling of Basquiat's life through short vignettes told from the perspective of important people in his life. Ultimately we get a very surface level exploration of what was a fascinating life. The art is nice but nothing too exciting.
May 26, 2019
I loved how colorful the illustrations are. I leaned a few things about Basquiat that I did not know before, but overall I wanted it to be a bit more comprehensive.
April 24, 2019
I was provided this graphic novel (as an advanced reader copy) by NetGalley. All views expressed in this review are my own.
Anyone interested in art or art history needs to get their hands on this graphic novel as soon as it hits shelves on May 13, 2019. I first learned about Jean-Michel Basquiat in my AP Art History class in Senior year of high school, and I was struck by his creativity and his influence on the contemporary art world. Despite passing away decades ago, his art still impacts the art world today.
This graphic novel was a fantastic way to tell Basquiat's life story. Through multiple perspectives (from his father, to his partner, to Basquiat himself) and interviews focusing on Basquiat's life and works, I was truly able to understand the circumstances of his life while still remaining oblivious of the true meaning of his work. I think that the true meaning is open to interpretation, as Basquiat himself says "I don't know how to describe my work in any other way. It's like asking Miles Davis, 'How does your trumpet sound?'"
The art style and color choices of this graphic novel were instrumental at making it as impactful as it is. Rather than try to recreate Basquiat's unique and impossible-to-replicate style, Paolo Parisi uses bright colors and minimal shading, with reds and greens and blues bleeding together to form the story of Basquiat's life. The framing of the novel—beginning with Jean-Michel's childhood and then returning to his pivotal accident at the end of the novel—creates a balance. Readers are sure to know Basquiat's fate from before the first page of this graphic novel, but this repetition as well as the repetition of common elements throughout (such as the constant claim of Basquiat being taken advantage of by others) takes the cacophony of Basquiat's life and art and makes it accessible to the everyday person, who could never truly understand what it must have been like to be Basquiat. This graphic novel highlights the genius as well as the struggle of the art world and making it big.
Even if you are not already a fan of Basquiat, this graphic novel is sure to resonate with you about not only his life but human existence as a whole. Basquiat wanted to make something of himself (perhaps fulfilling the American Dream that so many reach for) and make something of himself he did. Despite his death at the young age of 27, derailing a possibly lengthy career in art, Basquiat is still as influential in death as he was in life. I cannot stress this enough: do yourself a favor and pick this graphic novel up.
Anyone interested in art or art history needs to get their hands on this graphic novel as soon as it hits shelves on May 13, 2019. I first learned about Jean-Michel Basquiat in my AP Art History class in Senior year of high school, and I was struck by his creativity and his influence on the contemporary art world. Despite passing away decades ago, his art still impacts the art world today.
This graphic novel was a fantastic way to tell Basquiat's life story. Through multiple perspectives (from his father, to his partner, to Basquiat himself) and interviews focusing on Basquiat's life and works, I was truly able to understand the circumstances of his life while still remaining oblivious of the true meaning of his work. I think that the true meaning is open to interpretation, as Basquiat himself says "I don't know how to describe my work in any other way. It's like asking Miles Davis, 'How does your trumpet sound?'"
The art style and color choices of this graphic novel were instrumental at making it as impactful as it is. Rather than try to recreate Basquiat's unique and impossible-to-replicate style, Paolo Parisi uses bright colors and minimal shading, with reds and greens and blues bleeding together to form the story of Basquiat's life. The framing of the novel—beginning with Jean-Michel's childhood and then returning to his pivotal accident at the end of the novel—creates a balance. Readers are sure to know Basquiat's fate from before the first page of this graphic novel, but this repetition as well as the repetition of common elements throughout (such as the constant claim of Basquiat being taken advantage of by others) takes the cacophony of Basquiat's life and art and makes it accessible to the everyday person, who could never truly understand what it must have been like to be Basquiat. This graphic novel highlights the genius as well as the struggle of the art world and making it big.
Even if you are not already a fan of Basquiat, this graphic novel is sure to resonate with you about not only his life but human existence as a whole. Basquiat wanted to make something of himself (perhaps fulfilling the American Dream that so many reach for) and make something of himself he did. Despite his death at the young age of 27, derailing a possibly lengthy career in art, Basquiat is still as influential in death as he was in life. I cannot stress this enough: do yourself a favor and pick this graphic novel up.
June 17, 2019
This graphic novel was about the young artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Though it gives some back story to his early life we mainly explore his rise to fame.
Parisi uses the voices of those who knew Basquiat to narrate the story. This gives the graphic novel a feeling of closeness between the reader and Basquiat. Parisi was not afraid to broach such topics as drug use or Basquiat's relationships.
The use of only a few bold colours manages to give the work a POP art feel yet still convey emotion. Parisi manages to balance this well with the use of text, neither one overriding the other. The drawing style was realistic enough to keep the story grounded yet it left enough blankness for the reader to be able to imprint on it. For instance, the picture of Warhol and Basquiat in their side-by-side boxing glove pose was so recognisable to me that it didn't matter that their faces were absent in the graphic novel, I saw them anyway.
Parisi took a big risk with the opening scene in the book. Personally, I already knew how it would end having just studied Basquiat's work at college. However, I think this was a good hook for the rest of the book and I would probably surprise people that Basquiat was not close to his father.
I was equally taken with the end of the Novel. How Parisi tied Basquiat's childhood accident with his death. How Parisi used the heart from Gray's Anatomy to explain his death, beautiful in a morbid way. The heart felt as though it was real, the most 3D piece of the whole novel.
Having only recently studied Basquiat in college at the age of 32 I can honestly say I would have rathered studied him in secondary school instead of Warhol. Had I had this book in secondary school (high school) I think it would have made a difference to the level of interest I paid art, which was already high, I would have been much more interested in graphic novels at any rate. I'm not sure parents would agree but that is a different matter.
This graphic shows just how much of an artist Basquiat was, and not just as a painter but as a musician, writer and how he used these talents in a political way, even for a time.
I would say that this book and Basquiat's life in general, give us several morals to live by. Be careful your dream doesn't ruin your life, trust a few, take care of yourself.
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of art or those who read books about influential people of the '80s.
Parisi uses the voices of those who knew Basquiat to narrate the story. This gives the graphic novel a feeling of closeness between the reader and Basquiat. Parisi was not afraid to broach such topics as drug use or Basquiat's relationships.
The use of only a few bold colours manages to give the work a POP art feel yet still convey emotion. Parisi manages to balance this well with the use of text, neither one overriding the other. The drawing style was realistic enough to keep the story grounded yet it left enough blankness for the reader to be able to imprint on it. For instance, the picture of Warhol and Basquiat in their side-by-side boxing glove pose was so recognisable to me that it didn't matter that their faces were absent in the graphic novel, I saw them anyway.
Parisi took a big risk with the opening scene in the book. Personally, I already knew how it would end having just studied Basquiat's work at college. However, I think this was a good hook for the rest of the book and I would probably surprise people that Basquiat was not close to his father.
I was equally taken with the end of the Novel. How Parisi tied Basquiat's childhood accident with his death. How Parisi used the heart from Gray's Anatomy to explain his death, beautiful in a morbid way. The heart felt as though it was real, the most 3D piece of the whole novel.
Having only recently studied Basquiat in college at the age of 32 I can honestly say I would have rathered studied him in secondary school instead of Warhol. Had I had this book in secondary school (high school) I think it would have made a difference to the level of interest I paid art, which was already high, I would have been much more interested in graphic novels at any rate. I'm not sure parents would agree but that is a different matter.
This graphic shows just how much of an artist Basquiat was, and not just as a painter but as a musician, writer and how he used these talents in a political way, even for a time.
I would say that this book and Basquiat's life in general, give us several morals to live by. Be careful your dream doesn't ruin your life, trust a few, take care of yourself.
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of art or those who read books about influential people of the '80s.
September 30, 2019
Before reading this graphc novel I knew nothing about Jean-Michel Basquiat.
According to Wicki, Basquiat was an American artist of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent who first achieved fame as part of SAMO, an informal graffiti duo who wrote enigmatic epigrams in the cultural hotbed of the Lower East Side of Manhattan during the late 1970s, where rap, punk, and street art coalesced into early hip-hop music culture.
By the 1980s, his paintings were being exhibited in galleries and museums.
Basquiat started off with graffiti and ended up a star, but his star died way before his time at the very young age of 27. His life and talent ended before it had even begun.
And so the graphic novel portraying his life intrigued me!
In this volume Basquiat's early life is told by his father who is grieving his loss. His early art and breakthrough is told by Diego Cortez who was his friend and fellow graffiti artist. As the book progresses other people narrate the story including Basquiat himself.
It is an interesting story about an interesting man but the story just provides a glimpse into Basquiat's life and art. It is a good starter book which leaves the reader wanting to know more.
I wasn't a great fan of the artwork which is colored primarly in bright primary colours.
Apart from that it was an interesting book to read.
Copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
According to Wicki, Basquiat was an American artist of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent who first achieved fame as part of SAMO, an informal graffiti duo who wrote enigmatic epigrams in the cultural hotbed of the Lower East Side of Manhattan during the late 1970s, where rap, punk, and street art coalesced into early hip-hop music culture.
By the 1980s, his paintings were being exhibited in galleries and museums.
Basquiat started off with graffiti and ended up a star, but his star died way before his time at the very young age of 27. His life and talent ended before it had even begun.
And so the graphic novel portraying his life intrigued me!
In this volume Basquiat's early life is told by his father who is grieving his loss. His early art and breakthrough is told by Diego Cortez who was his friend and fellow graffiti artist. As the book progresses other people narrate the story including Basquiat himself.
It is an interesting story about an interesting man but the story just provides a glimpse into Basquiat's life and art. It is a good starter book which leaves the reader wanting to know more.
I wasn't a great fan of the artwork which is colored primarly in bright primary colours.
Apart from that it was an interesting book to read.
Copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
November 14, 2019
The illustration and color is the strongest part of Basquiat: A graphic novel. The storytelling was disappointing. Jean-Michel Basquiat's life is overflowing with plentiful material for a spectacular graphic novel. In the intro, the author writes, "There is much true in the story - but of course the whole is translated into a narrative fiction that requires the betrayal of some biographical elements." I'm not sure which biographical elements have been fictionalized, but the author offers a list of additional reading, viewing and listening at the end of the book. The areas that the author focused on left me feeling flat, like I didn't gain much meaningful insight into the artist himself or his work.
I feel weird about the painful scene where Basquiat has a slur yelled at him while crossing the street. Is this the author/illustrator's abbreviated way of telling us (within one frame) that our protagonist dealt with extreme racism, without having to go deeper into it? Why does the author/illustrator side-step all opportunities to discuss Basquiat's own work which was groundbreaking partially because he didn't shy away from addressing the complexities of history, identity, race, racism and culture?
I feel weird about the painful scene where Basquiat has a slur yelled at him while crossing the street. Is this the author/illustrator's abbreviated way of telling us (within one frame) that our protagonist dealt with extreme racism, without having to go deeper into it? Why does the author/illustrator side-step all opportunities to discuss Basquiat's own work which was groundbreaking partially because he didn't shy away from addressing the complexities of history, identity, race, racism and culture?
March 3, 2020
A very brief look at the life of Jean-Michel Basquiat in a fiction format. Parisi has Basquiat's father, girlfriend and first major art dealer narrate for a spell and shows pages of a fictional diary from Basquiat. The colors are garish and, after a while, monotonous. The author does explain why he chose such a limited color palette but I still didn't like it.
I'm not an expert on Basquiat's art, but I don't think any was shown in the graphic novel except for the Samo@ tag. Everything else seemed like an oversimplification of his art. Does anyone have permission to reproduce his art, even after all of this time (Basquait died in 1988)? For example, mushc was made of "Riding with Death" but was not seen (even in a simplified version.) Here it is, with a decidely muted color palette:
My library listed this as for "young adults" but it shows drug use, sex and nudity. I guess those are things young adults are interested in, but I still wonder if this isn't really for more conventional adults than young adults, instead.
I'm not an expert on Basquiat's art, but I don't think any was shown in the graphic novel except for the Samo@ tag. Everything else seemed like an oversimplification of his art. Does anyone have permission to reproduce his art, even after all of this time (Basquait died in 1988)? For example, mushc was made of "Riding with Death" but was not seen (even in a simplified version.) Here it is, with a decidely muted color palette:
My library listed this as for "young adults" but it shows drug use, sex and nudity. I guess those are things young adults are interested in, but I still wonder if this isn't really for more conventional adults than young adults, instead.
April 23, 2021
Very cool graphic novel about Jean-Michael Basquiat's life as a person and a painter. His life was his own. He seemed troubled from the start. He didn't want to live a conventional life, he didn't even want to live in a house choosing to sleep on the streets or anywhere he decided at any given time. He was talented that's a fact. He didn't care. He needed to paint, he had to paint, he wanted to paint....that's all there was for him. Anything else got in his way. The fact that he was pulled into the limelight by art critics of the time and forced to become rich and famous left him with sadness instead of gratitude. Friend to the happening artists of New York City his life was parties and more parties. Plus work and more work. This chronicle covers all aspects in an unique way showing us his life and letting us feel his pain. It made me wonder what might have become of him if he was left alone to paint what he wanted and just be himself. But we'll never know. A tragic tale of the art world and one of its victims.
August 16, 2024
I'm in love with the very concept of a graphic biography (is that a thing?) about Basquiat. It makes so much sense based on his art, and I find that it complements his particular story. I haven't read many graphic novels but in my opinion, Parisi harnessed the quirks and benefits of the genre effectively. I loved the mixed media-esque approach to providing context for the text, and I was especially intrigued by the journal entries.
I'm not quite sure why, but the act of applying a story arc in retrospect to Basquiat's life feels disrespectful to me. I recognize that it comes with the genre of the project, and that extensive research surely went into portraying an accurate picture of the subject. However, a part of me wonders if treating Basquiat's identity and story as an extension of his work like this contribute to commodification of his image. He was an incredible artist, and his art imitated his life—but he was also just a man living life in the world. We should be careful not to suggest that his life could have imitated his art.
I'm not quite sure why, but the act of applying a story arc in retrospect to Basquiat's life feels disrespectful to me. I recognize that it comes with the genre of the project, and that extensive research surely went into portraying an accurate picture of the subject. However, a part of me wonders if treating Basquiat's identity and story as an extension of his work like this contribute to commodification of his image. He was an incredible artist, and his art imitated his life—but he was also just a man living life in the world. We should be careful not to suggest that his life could have imitated his art.
April 27, 2019
This graphic novel narrates the life of the artist Basquiat,from his childhood to his tragical death, through the eyes of his father,his partner and Basquiat himself.
I particularly appreciated the choice of the colours’ palette chosen by Paolo Parisi:yellow,red,green and blue.These striking colours were used by Basquiat himself in his works and represent power,transgression and elegance.
The use of recreated notebook pages gives an edgy twist to the graphic novel and they make it even more interesting.
I truly recommend this book not only for art lovers but for everyone wanting to know more about Basquiat.Despite his premature death,he has been influencing culture and art for the past decades.This graphic novel is a great way to know more about the person and his rise and fall though fame,success and art through amazing amazing illustrations and precise descriptions.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.
I particularly appreciated the choice of the colours’ palette chosen by Paolo Parisi:yellow,red,green and blue.These striking colours were used by Basquiat himself in his works and represent power,transgression and elegance.
The use of recreated notebook pages gives an edgy twist to the graphic novel and they make it even more interesting.
I truly recommend this book not only for art lovers but for everyone wanting to know more about Basquiat.Despite his premature death,he has been influencing culture and art for the past decades.This graphic novel is a great way to know more about the person and his rise and fall though fame,success and art through amazing amazing illustrations and precise descriptions.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.
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