On a recent layover in New York City, I attended an exhibition of Basquiat’s art and life. This exhibit isn’t a typical exhibit, just like Basquiat wasn’t a typical artist. It isn’t in a museum or even a gallery. It’s in a warehouse in Chelsea. And it wasn’t curated by a staff member with a Masters of Fine Art. Instead, it was assembled by his family. I assume his family also (aptly) named the show. I love the title: King Pleasure. Allow me to try to unpack it.
Jean-Michel Basquiat was a young black graffiti artist who rose to fame in the 1980s. If you don’t recognize his art, perhaps you remember him dating Madonna?
He was from Brooklyn with Haitian and Puerto Rican roots. He was undoubtedly influenced by the emergence of hip-hop, but his influences were broad and diverse. He loved jazz, particularly Charlie Parker. He admired Marcel Duchamp and perhaps Degas. He liked boxing and cartoons, African art, and Grace Jones. He took pleasure in the 1980s party scene. He hung out with Keith Haring and was close to Andy Warhol. He LOVED nightclubs. But he wasn’t just a king of New York’s infamous 80s party scene. He was a thoughtful, thought-provoking, serious artist who layered racial and social commentary in his provocative artwork.
How do I know all of this? Because his family decided to create this exhibition and share personal details of his life. This exhibition is unique in that it was conceived and curated by his surviving sisters. They have chosen to share intimate details about their brother so that we, the public, can understand Basquiat as not only a distinctive and influential artist but also as a person, a brother, and a son.
Through the generosity of his family, as you walk through this exhibit, you will see paintings and drawings (many never before shown) spanning the years from childhood to 1988, the year we lost him to a heroin overdose.
You will also see journals, articles of clothing, paint brushes and smocks, and even his birth announcement.
You will see school newspapers illustrated by a teenage Basquiat, rooms transplanted from his childhood home, and a re-creation of his final art studio.
On display are various artifacts and works of art Basquiat chose to surround himself with. The experience is multisensory. You will hear music playing that he enjoyed -a soundtrack that includes Miles Davis and Neil Diamond. Home movies play in the background while family members share childhood stories.
I enjoyed this glimpse into his personal world and the context it provided. I was also struck by the artwork itself, especially the pieces made in the early 1980s. Basquiat painted on everything! Fences, doors, quilts, glass, refrigerators. It wasn’t that he was a struggling artist who couldn’t afford canvas and supplies. By this time, he was a recognized and successful artist. And yet, he chose to paint on discarded medium. Was he recycling? Reusing? Repurposing? Or was he making a different statement? Perhaps he felt that he was part of the art establishment but outside of it at the same time.
The inclusion of his bicycle reinforced this idea. The label read, “Jean-Michel often rode his bicycle around New York City because taxi drivers frequently refused to pick him up.”
For me, the most impactful part of the exhibition was the recreation of his art studio. A silent home movie of Basquiat painting plays on the wall as we look over scattered artwork and personal effects. His VH1 collection is piled in an opposite corner. Breakfast Club is playing on a 1980’s era television. His ladder stands in the forefront, the room cluttered with everyday objects, including an overflowing ashtray brimming with cigarette butts. It feels like you have walked into a time capsule or perhaps through a time warp. It’s the most intimate portion of an already intimate show.
I can’t imagine that he invited very many people into his workspace.
I have always been drawn to Basquiat’s art, but this exhibition is much more satisfying than a general retrospective. This experience offers a glimpse into his backstory. His art is contextualized because we see it placed within his history, his influences, and his contemporaries.
I left with much to think about, satisfied and full because the exhibition is rich. Although he was successful and recognized in his lifetime, I think many people have come to appreciate his art and its relevance even more since his passing. In no small part, thanks to his family.
WOW!
Lucky you!