Jean-Michel Basquiat

1969-1988, America

Brooklyn-born painter Jean-Michel Basquiat came out of New York’s vibrant downtown scene of the late 1970s to become one of the most influential and internationally renowned artists of the late 20th century. His street art and Neo-Expressionist works on canvas and paper as well as on random objects and surfaces are characterized by visually striking and psychologically powerful combinations of anatomical diagrams, charged words and cryptic phrases, numerals, pictograms, commercial graphic art, allusions to African history and African-American pop culture, as well as stick figures and maps.

His works can be found in museum collections around the world including The Broad, Los Angeles, the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, and The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh.

Born of Afro-Caribbean parents on 22 December 1960, Basquiat was exposed to art by his mother and some of his teachers but received no formal art education.

Brooklyn-born painter Jean-Michel Basquiat came out of New York’s vibrant downtown scene of the late 1970s to become one of the most influential and internationally renowned artists of the late 20th century. His street art and Neo-Expressionist works on canvas and paper as well as on random objects and surfaces are characterized by visually striking and psychologically powerful combinations of anatomical diagrams, charged words and cryptic phrases, numerals, pictograms, commercial graphic art, allusions to African history and African-American pop culture, as well as stick figures and maps. His works can be found in museum collections around the world including The Broad, Los Angeles, the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, and The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh.

Born of Afro-Caribbean parents on 22 December 1960, Basquiat was exposed to art by his mother and some of his teachers but received no formal art education. After dropping out of high school and leaving home in 1976, he attracted attention with the enigmatic graffiti he created under the name SAMO, befriending artists and downtown luminaries and beginning to paint and draw with more focused effort. A first public group show in a vacant Times Square building in June 1980 eventually led to his first solo exhibition in 1982. Success among the contemporary art-loving public was immediate, while critics both lauded Basquiat as a genius and derided him as a product of the newly booming market. In the mid-1980s, the artist collaborated on several works with the most famous artist of the time, Andy Warhol. He died of a heroin overdose on 12 August 1988. The influence of Basquiat’s complex aesthetic on subsequent generations of artist remains incalculable.

Basquiat’s Solo Exhibitions in his lifetime
1988

Galerie Yvon Lambert, Paris (January 1988)
Hans Mayer Gallery, Düsseldorf (January 1988)
Galerie Beaubourg, Paris (“Jean-Michel Basquiat: Peintures 1982 – 1987,” January 9, 1988 – February 16, 1988)
Michael Haas Gallery, Berlin
Vrej Baghoomian, New York (April 1988)

1987

Daniel Templon, Paris (“Jean-Michel Basquiat,” January 10 – February 7, 1987)
Akira Ikeda Gallery, Tokyo (“Jean-Michel Basquiat: New Works,” February 7 – February 28, 1987)
PS Gallery, Tokyo
Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York (three large drawings, May-June 1987)

1986

Larry Gagosian Gallery, Los Angeles (January 1986)
Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zürich (“Jean-Michel Basquiat: Drawings,” April 1986)
Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Salzburg
Centre Culturel Français, Abidjan, Ivory Coast (10 October 1986 – 7 November 1986)
Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zürich (“Collaborations: Basquiat and Warhol,” November)
Kestner-Gesellschaft, Hannover (November 28, 1986 – January 25, 1987)
Galerie Michael Werner, Köln

1985

Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zürich (January 1985)
Boymans-van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam
Mary Boone / Michael Werner Gallery, New York (March 1985)
Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York (Warhol / Basquiat collaborations, September – October 1985)

1984

Mary Boone GaIIery, New York (“Jean-Michel Basquiat,” May 5 – May 26, 1984)
The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh (“Jean-Michel Basquiat: Paintings 1981 – 1984” August 11 – September 23, 1984, travels)
Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zürich (“Collaborations: Basquiat, Clemente, Warhol,” September – October 1984)

1983

Larry Gagosian GalIery, Los Angeles (“New Paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat,” March 1983)
Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zürich (September-October, 1983)
Galerie Akira Ikeda, Tokyo (“Jean-Michel Basquiat,” November 14 – December 10, 1983)
West Beach Café, Venice, California

1982

Annina Nosei GaIlery, New York (“Jean-Michel Basquiat,” March 6 – April 1, 1982)
Larry Gagosian Gallery, Los Angeles (“Jean-Michel Basquiat: Paintings,” April 8 – May 8, 1982)
Galleria Mario Diacono, Rome (1982)
Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zürich (“Jean-Michel Basquiat” September 11, 1982 – October 9, 1982)
Fun Gallery, New York (“Jean-Michel Basquiat,” November 4 – December 7, 1982)
Galerie Delta, Rotterdam (“Jean-Michel Basquiat,” December 1982)

1981

Galleria Emilio Mazzoli, Modena, Italy (“SAMO,” May 23 – June 20, 1981)

Jean-Michel Basquiat

<div class="article-cv"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-12"><b>Basquiat’s Solo Exhibitions in his lifetime</b><br>1988 <ul class="article-cv-item"> <li>Galerie Yvon Lambert, Paris (January 1988)<br></li><li>Hans Mayer Gallery, Düsseldorf (January 1988)</li><li>Galerie Beaubourg, Paris (“Jean-Michel Basquiat: Peintures 1982 – 1987,” January 9, 1988 – February 16, 1988)</li><li>Michael Haas Gallery, Berlin</li><li>Vrej Baghoomian, New York (April 1988)</li> </ul>1987<br><ul class="article-cv-item"> <li>Daniel Templon, Paris (“Jean-Michel Basquiat,” January 10 – February 7, 1987)<br></li><li>Akira Ikeda Gallery, Tokyo (“Jean-Michel Basquiat: New Works,” February 7 – February 28, 1987)</li><li>PS Gallery, Tokyo</li><li>Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York (three large drawings, May-June 1987)</li> </ul>1986<br><ul class="article-cv-item"> <li>Larry Gagosian Gallery, Los Angeles (January 1986)<br></li><li>Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zürich (“Jean-Michel Basquiat: Drawings,” April 1986)</li><li>Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Salzburg</li><li>Centre Culturel Français, Abidjan, Ivory Coast (10 October 1986 – 7 November 1986)</li><li>Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zürich (“Collaborations: Basquiat and Warhol,” November)</li><li>Kestner-Gesellschaft, Hannover (November 28, 1986 – January 25, 1987)</li><li>Galerie Michael Werner, Köln</li> </ul>1985 <ul class="article-cv-item"> <li>Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zürich (January 1985)<br></li><li>Boymans-van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam</li><li>Mary Boone / Michael Werner Gallery, New York (March 1985)</li><li>Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York (Warhol / Basquiat collaborations, September – October 1985)</li> </ul>1984 <ul class="article-cv-item"> <li>Mary Boone GaIIery, New York (“Jean-Michel Basquiat,” May 5 – May 26, 1984)<br></li><li>The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh (“Jean-Michel Basquiat: Paintings 1981 – 1984” August 11 – September 23, 1984, travels)</li><li>Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zürich (“Collaborations: Basquiat, Clemente, Warhol,” September – October 1984)</li> </ul>1983 <ul class="article-cv-item"> <li>Larry Gagosian GalIery, Los Angeles (“New Paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat,” March 1983)<br></li><li>Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zürich (September-October, 1983)</li><li>Galerie Akira Ikeda, Tokyo (“Jean-Michel Basquiat,” November 14 – December 10, 1983)</li><li>West Beach Café, Venice, California</li> </ul>1982<ul class="article-cv-item"><li>Annina Nosei GaIlery, New York (“Jean-Michel Basquiat,” March 6 – April 1, 1982)</li><li>Larry Gagosian Gallery, Los Angeles (“Jean-Michel Basquiat: Paintings,” April 8 – May 8, 1982)</li><li>Galleria Mario Diacono, Rome (1982)</li><li>Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zürich (“Jean-Michel Basquiat” September 11, 1982 – October 9, 1982)</li><li>Fun Gallery, New York (“Jean-Michel Basquiat,” November 4 – December 7, 1982)</li><li>Galerie Delta, Rotterdam (“Jean-Michel Basquiat,” December 1982)</li> </ul>1981 <ul class="article-cv-item"> <li>Galleria Emilio Mazzoli, Modena, Italy (“SAMO,” May 23 – June 20, 1981) </li> </ul> <ul class="article-cv-item"> </ul> </div>