Brace yourself for the first large-scale exhibition in the UK
of the work of American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
(1960—1988), one of the most significant painters of the 20th
century.
Kicking off today at
Barbican Art Gallery and running until 28 January 2018,
Basquiat: Boom for Real is an unprecedented exhibition
that brings together an outstanding selection of more than 100
works from international museums and private collections for
the first time.
Engage in the explosive creativity of Basquiat who came of age
in the late 1970s during the post-punk underground art scene in
downtown New York, and later worked with Andy Warhol, Keith
Haring and Blondie, among others.
Jean-Michel Basquiat Untitled, 1982 Courtesy Museum Boijmans
Van Beuningen, Rotterdam. © The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Licensed by Artestar, New York. Photo: Studio Tromp, Rotterdam
Jean-Michel Basquiat Untitled (Pablo Picasso), 1984 Private
collection, Italy. © The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Licensed by Artestar, New York.
Jean-Michel Basquiat Hollywood Africans, 1983 Courtesy Whitney
Museum of American Art, New York. © The Estate of Jean-Michel
Basquiat/ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ ADAGP, Paris.
Licensed by Artestar, New York.
His vibrant, raw imagery, abounding with fragments of bold
capitalised text, offers insights into both his encyclopaedic
interests and his experience as a young black artist with no
formal training. Since his tragic death in 1988, Basquiat has
had remarkably little exposure in the UK; not a single work of
his is held in a public collection.
More than any other exhibition to date, Basquiat: Boom for
Real focuses on the artist’s relationship to music,
writing, performance, film and television, placing him within
the wider cultural context of the time. Paintings, drawings,
notebooks and objects are presented alongside rare film,
photography, music and archival material, capturing the range
and dynamism of Basquiat’s practice over the years.
Jean-Michel Basquiat King Zulu, 1986 Courtesy Museu d’Art
Contemporani de Barcelona. © The Estate of Jean-Michel
Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York. Photo: Gasull
Fotografia
13.‘LIKE AN IGNORANT EASTER SUIT’, Jean-Michel Basquiat on the
set of Downtown 81. © New York Beat Film LLC. By permission of
The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Photo: Edo Bertoglio
Jean-Michel Basquiat dancing at the Mudd Club, 1979. © Nicholas
Taylor
Basquiat: Boom for Real runs until 28 January 2018 at
Barbican Art Gallery. Tickets cost £16 and can be purchased
online at
barbican.org.uk.
Main image: Edo Bertoglio. Jean-Michel Basquiat wearing an
American football helmet, 1981 | Photo: © Edo Bertoglio,
courtesy of Maripol. Artwork: © The Estate of Jean-Michel
Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York
