Basquiat Spring: Boom, For Real

Apr 14

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jailbirds, 1983. © The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat

It’s a great time to be a fan of graffiti-god-turned-renowned-fine-art-genius Jean-Michel Basquiat and since you’re reading an East Village art mag it’s probably safe to assume you are one.

Anyway, there are not one, but two Basquiat shows on view simultaneously in the city: Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure @ Starrett-Lehigh Building, 601 W. 26th St. in Chelsea and Jean-Michel Basquiat: Art and Objecthood @ Nahmad Contemporary, 980 Madison Avenue.

Read the B Scene Zine piece on Basquiat’s early days in the East Village in our February issue, https://bscenezine.com/backissues.

King Pleasure is the big one you’ve undoubtedly heard about. It features 200 never-before-seen and rarely shown paintings, drawings, multimedia presentations, ephemera, and artifacts. The show is curated by the family of the late East Village icon, who died of a heroin overdose in 1988 at his studio on Great Jones St. It’s pricey at $40, including taxes and shit, and is selling out quickly at kingpleasure.basquiat.com.

The show’s promotors say it comes with “unique insight into the late artist’s creative life and his singular voice that propelled a social and cultural narrative that continues to this day.” They go on to promise to “tell the story of Jean-Michel from an intimate perspective, intertwining his artistic endeavors with his personal life, influences, and the times in which he lived.”

The second may be smaller and lesser known, but it seems no less interesting. This exhibit is dedicated to the role of found objects and unconventional materials in the artist’s oeuvre. It’s free and open Monday-Saturday, 10 AM-6PM.

It promises an “in-depth look into the artist’s sculptural practice. In addition to painting and drawing on everything within his domestic spaces—refrigerators, chairs, cabinets—Basquiat harnessed and left his mark on items he encountered on the street—discarded windows and doors, mirrors, wood boards, subway tiles. Notably, such found objects were among the artist’s earliest creations.”

Jawbone of an Ass, 1982 © The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat Licensed by Artestar, New York

Might as well be honest here, B Scene Zine missed both opening receptions, but we’re going to both this weekend and will backfill this piece with new musings and photos.