Jean-Michel Basquiat, superstar of the 1980s art scene
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s life was a brief but dazzling one. His stellar rise to fame from street artist to art star occurred against the backdrop of New York’s heady, grungy mixture of music, art, and bohemianism, and he quickly became one of the most feted artists of his time.
Though Basquiat’s career was cut short by his untimely death aged 27 from a drug overdose, his posthumous fame has only continued to grow, and he is one of the most sought-after artists in today’s market. His prints regularly fetch up to £50,000 at auction, and interest in his life and work has steadily increased in the decades since his death.
Basquiat once said: “I’m not a real person. I’m a legend.” Despite the uncanny accuracy of his words, even legends have to be influenced by something, and Basquiat tended to create art inspired by his environment, his childhood, and his cultural heritage. As such, it is helpful to know a little about the artist when looking at his art; below are eight things you might not have known about Jean-Michel Basquiat.
He Was A Precocious Child
Basquiat was an entirely self-taught artist, and he showed a keen interest in drawing and painting from a young age. Born in December 1960, he could apparently read and write by the age of four, and he displayed early artistic skill in his drawings, which were often inspired by television cartoons. His mother encouraged his talents by introducing him to various museums and art galleries, and by emphasising the importance of education to him. Later, Jean-Michel Basquiat would say: “My mother gave me all the primary things. The art came from her.”
His Most Expensive Print Sold For £2.5 million
Untitled (1983) is a silkscreen print of a white, skull-like mask on a black background, surrounded by white text and drawings from Basquiat’s notebooks, and it was sold by Sotheby’s in November 2022 for £2,522,370. Untitled was created using the same techniques as Tuxedo, which was sold for £610,000 by Sotheby’s in February 2012, and both prints are good examples of the dramatic, imaginative way in which Basquiat combined words and images to create unique pieces of art.
“Untitled” Sold by Sotheby’s in 2022
He Started As A Street Artist
Basquiat first drew attention under the fictional character SAMO, which he created with his friend, Al Diaz. SAMO initially stood for ‘Same Old Shit’, and the two artists emblazoned cryptic messages and drawings across Manhattan under the moniker. The collaboration ended after they fell out, with the final messages reading: “SAMO IS DEAD.” Yet both Basquiat and Diaz used the moniker separately at various times in later years, and the legacy of the experience can be found in much of Basquiat’s famous work, from the raw style of Untitled (1986) to the cryptic messages of Untitled (Per Capita).
He Was Friends With Andy Warhol
In the late ‘70s, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol were aware of each other, but they inhabited totally different leagues of the New York arts scene. Warhol’s work in the 1960s had already established him as a global star and leading figure of the Pop Art movement, and Basquiat was still trying to make a name for himself.
Despite this, Warhol was “a hero” to the young Basquiat. By the beginning of the ‘80s, Basquiat had begun to gain traction and the two men were formally introduced by the art dealer, Bruno Bischofberger, in a meeting that marked the start of a brief yet productive friendship. It was a mutually beneficial relationship, with Warhol becoming a paternal figure, and one whose fame could help propel Basquiat into the public consciousness, and Basquiat bringing a fresh, raw energy to Warhol. It is a tragic twist of fate that only a few years later both artists died unexpectedly within the space of 18 months, leaving a gaping hole in the art world.
Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol
He Dropped Out Of School And Sold His Art To Get By
In 1977, Basquiat dumped a box full of shaving cream onto his school principal’s head during a graduation ceremony, apparently as a dare. After the incident, he decided there was no point in going back to school, even though he himself was only one year away from graduating. Soon afterwards, he left home, stayed with various friends, and became a regular at downtown hot spots like Club 57 and CBGB’s. During this time, he made money by selling pieces of his art on the streets of New York, most notably postcards and hand-painted items of clothing.
The Crown Is His Symbol
Basquiat is synonymous with his crown motif, which appears in multiple famous prints such as Tuxedo and Back of the Neck. The question of what it means still divides critics today, but most believe it symbolises Basquiat’s inherent, driving belief in his own ability, his regard for those who influenced his work, and his desire to become that famous legend he always talked about.
Jean-Michel Basquiat – Untitled (Crown) 1982
He Spoke Three Languages
Basquiat’s mother’s family originally came from Puerto Rico, and his father was born in Port-au-Prince. As such, by the age of 11, Basquiat could speak English, French, and Spanish, and he read avidly in all three languages. Basquiat’s love of words is frequently transferred to his artwork; pieces such as Anatomy include labelled diagrams, and others, like Tuxedo, are set against backdrops of closely-written enigmatic messages.
He Was Hit By A Car
At the age of eight, Basquiat was hit by a car when playing in the street. He broke his arm and sustained several internal injuries, resulting in a splenectomy and a month-long stay in hospital. His mother bought him a copy of Gray’s Anatomy to keep him occupied during that time, and the 19th century reference book made a lasting impression. Basquiat’s work frequently incorporates human anatomy and medical terms, for instance in Back of the Neck, which is now among his most popular and sought-after prints.
