Basquiat King Pleasure: An Immersive Personal Portrait

Apr 18

Untitled, no date, oil stick and plexiglass over framed acetate plexiglass.

Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure is a joyous, immersive journey into the world the artist created, starting from his humble living room in Brooklyn to the Great Jones Street studio where he lived, worked and ultimately died.

Both the living room and the studio were lovingly recreated for the installation by his surviving sisters, Lisane and Jeanine. Basquiat died of heroin overdose in the East Village in 1988 at 27 when he was at the height of his creative brilliance.

Untitled, 1983-84, acrylic, oil stick and photocopy on canvas.

The exhibit comes amid growing interest in Basquiat, his life and work. A second exhibit, titled Jean-Michel Basquiat: Art and Objecthood, opened recently at Nahmad Contemporary at 980 Madison Ave. A show at the Orlando Museum has been drawing crowds, amid some controversy, since February.

Untitled, 1982, acrylic and oil stick on canvas.

The value of Basquiat’s work has skyrocketed in recent years. One recent example: a painting featuring a black skull with red and yellow rivulets brought more than $110 million at auction in 2017. Phillips is offering a painting of similar vintage next month with an estimated price of $70 million.

Untitled, 1982, acrylic and oil stick on blanket mounted on tied wood supports.

The majority of the works on display as part of King Pleasure at the Starrett-Lehigh Building at 601 W. 26th St. in Chelsea have never been shown publicly before, but they are rendered in the unmistakable evolved-street-art style for which the artist is known. There are lots of skulls, crowns, and words.

Untitled, mid 80s, a collection of studies, crayon and oil stick on paper.

There are sketches on paper, acrylic and oil stick on canvas, as well as works on wood, glass, mirror, aluminum, cloth, and a refrigerator door. The sheer volume of unseen work reminds viewers of Basquiat’s unmatched productivity, which allowed him to churn out hundreds of works between 1980 and 1988.

Untitled, (Charlie Parker?), no date, acrylic and oil stick on canvas.

Many, perhaps most, of the pieces in the exhibit are untitled, perhaps because many of them were recovered from his studio when he died. And, sadly, few are dated leaving viewers to wonder where each piece fits into the brief timeline of Basquiat’s creative life.

Untitled (Asbestos Flats Fix), 1982, acrylic on glass in window frame.

The show is a bit pricey at about $50 all in, but the personal portrait of the enigmatic artist is well worth it. Now the $50 tote bags in the gift shop, probably not.