The legend of Jean-Michel Basquiat is as strong as ever. Synonymous with
1980s New York, the artist first appeared in the late 1970s under the
tag SAMO, spraying caustic comments and fragmented poems on the walls of
the city. He appeared as part of a thriving underground scene of visual
arts and graffiti, hip hop, post-punk, and DIY filmmaking, which met in
a booming art world. As a painter with a strong personal voice, Basquiat
soon broke into the established milieu, exhibiting in galleries around
the world.
Basquiat's expressive style was based on raw figures and integrated
words and phrases. His work is inspired by a pantheon of luminaries from
jazz, boxing, and basketball, with references to arcane history and the
politics of street life--so when asked about his subject matter,
Basquiat answered "royalty, heroism and the streets." In 1983 he started
collaborating with the most famous of art stars, Andy Warhol, and in
1985 was on the cover of The New York Times Magazine. When Basquiat died
at the age of 27, he had become one of the most successful artists of
his time.
First published in an XXL edition, this unprecedented insight into
Basquiat's art is now available in a compact, accessible volume in
celebration of TASCHEN's 40th anniversary. With pristine reproductions
of his most seminal paintings, drawings, and notebook sketches, it
offers vivid proximity to Basquiat's intricate marks and scribbled
words, further illuminated by an introduction to the artist from editor
Hans Werner Holzwarth, as well as an essay on his themes and artistic
development from curator and art historian Eleanor Nairne. Richly
illustrated year-by-year chapter breaks follow the artist's life and
quote from his own statements and contemporary reviews to provide both
personal background and historical context.
About the series
TASCHEN is 40! Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in
1980, TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible publishing, helping
bookworms around the world curate their own library of art,
anthropology, and aphrodisia at an unbeatable price. Today we celebrate
40 years of incredible books by staying true to our company credo. The
40 series presents new editions of some of the stars of our program--now
more compact, friendly in price, and still realized with the same
commitment to impeccable production.
