Jean-Michel Basquiat (40th Anniversary edition)

Product description

The legend of Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) is as strong as ever. The artist first appeared in the late 1970s under the tag SAMO in New York, spraying caustic comments and fragmented poems on the walls of the city. He appeared as part of a thriving underground scene of visual arts and graffiti, hip hop, post-punk, and DIY filmmaking, which met in a booming art world. As a painter with a strong personal voice, Basquiat soon broke into the established milieu, exhibiting in galleries around the world.

This book allows an unprecedented insight into Basquiat’s art, with pristine reproductions of his most seminal paintings, drawings, and notebook sketches. The book offers vivid proximity to Basquiat’s intricate marks and scribbled words. Year-by-year chapter breaks follow the artist’s life and quote from his own statements and contemporary reviews to provide both personal background and historical context.

Make sure to check this short-doc from VICE, offering an interesting insight on Basquiat's life from the perspective of his sisters.