The World of Jean-Michel Basquiat

A look at the life, work, controversies, and iconic mystique of Jean-Michel Basquiat, an artist who conquered the art world, defined a generation of 1980’s expressionist painting, and became a celebrity doing it. Basquiat was an artist with preternatural talent who created art inspired by Jazz, Beat poets, Cy Twombly, Leonardo da Vinci, graffiti, Hip-Hop, and nearly everything else under the sun. He took on racism, politics, and art history itself in his short but exceptional career. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 2:06 Hollywood Africans 4:17 Basquiat & Art Museums 5:17 Great Jones St. Studio & 1980’s New York 6:49 Childhood and Teenage years 8:58 SAMO Graffiti 11:20 Influences 17:29 The Death of Michael Stewart 19:21 Profit I Breakdown 20:54 The Problem with Critics 22:19 Abidjan, Ivory Coast 22:57 Conclusion 22:53 Untitled (Skull) 24:26 Outro Credits and References: Artforum New Yorker New York Times Esquire Magazine The