December 22, 1960 - August 12, 1988
Cause of Death: Heroin overdose
As I pondered which of the 64 members of this mythic club to feature it seemed I couldn’t do an art showcase without featuring one of the most famous and prominent artist of the 1980’s. Jean Michele Basquiat rose to fame in the late 80’s for his wild and imaginative Neo-expressionism paintings. If his name doesn’t ring a bell, he was also known for partnering with his life long friend, Andy Warhol. By the time Basquiat was 21 years old his paintings, often centered around dichotomies such as wealth vs poverty, and inner versus outer experiences, he would showcase at esteemed exhibit Documents in Kassel, Germany. At this point and time he was the youngest artist to accomplish this feat and already.
We’ve all heard the troupe the ‘tortured artist,’ and Basquiat was no stranger to this. Earlier this year I watched an Andy Warhol documentary. One episode featured entirely on the friendships between Andy and Basquiat. I already knew who he was and recognized his art, but I hadn’t taken the time to truly study him. The things he created were truly a journal and viewpoint of how he saw the world from day to day. A troubled soul, I can’t help but conclude that the way he coped was through art and drugs and the coexistence of each. In the end the drug addiction would win out over the art. Shortly before his death, Basquait claimed he was using a hundred bags of heroin a day. He was found dead on the floor of of his studio on August 12, 1988 at the age of 27 years old.
“I’m not a real person. I’m a legend.”
December 22, 1960 - August 12, 1988
Cause of Death: Heroin overdose
As I pondered which of the 64 members of this mythic club to feature it seemed I couldn’t do an art showcase without featuring one of the most famous and prominent artist of the 1980’s. Jean Michele Basquiat rose to fame in the late 80’s for his wild and imaginative Neo-expressionism paintings. If his name doesn’t ring a bell, he was also known for partnering with his life long friend, Andy Warhol. By the time Basquiat was 21 years old his paintings, often centered around dichotomies such as wealth vs poverty, and inner versus outer experiences, he would showcase at esteemed exhibit Documents in Kassel, Germany. At this point and time he was the youngest artist to accomplish this feat and already.
We’ve all heard the troupe the ‘tortured artist,’ and Basquiat was no stranger to this. Earlier this year I watched an Andy Warhol documentary. One episode featured entirely on the friendships between Andy and Basquiat. I already knew who he was and recognized his art, but I hadn’t taken the time to truly study him. The things he created were truly a journal and viewpoint of how he saw the world from day to day. A troubled soul, I can’t help but conclude that the way he coped was through art and drugs and the coexistence of each. In the end the drug addiction would win out over the art. Shortly before his death, Basquait claimed he was using a hundred bags of heroin a day. He was found dead on the floor of of his studio on August 12, 1988 at the age of 27 years old.
“I’m not a real person. I’m a legend.”
[Created for solo show titled, The 27 Club]
48” x 60”
Acrylic on Canvas
