First large-scale Basquiat exhibition in Canada features more than 140 works examining the pioneering artist’s radical visual language
Famous by age 20 for his groundbreaking drawings and paintings, Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988) took the cultural hotbed of the New York art world by storm in the early 1980s. Basquiat gained international recognition by creating powerful and expressive works that confronted issues of racism, politics and social hypocrisy. Although his career was cut short by his untimely death at age 27, his works remain hugely influential.
Opening Feb. 7, 2015, at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), Basquiat marks the first-ever major retrospective of the artist’s work in Canada and will feature more than 140 large-scale paintings and drawings from private collections and public museums across Europe and North America.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled (Yellow Tar and Feathers), 1982, Private Collection© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat / SODRAC (2014)
Though Basquiat was not a street artist, his work was intrinsically linked to the urban environment, beginning in conceptual graffiti, referencing street art in his paintings and using salvaged materials such as abandoned doors and packing crates as canvases.
In 1976, Basquiat and his friend Al Diaz began spraypainting the walls of lower Manhattan under the pseudonym SAMO©, alluding to the saying “same old shit.” Their work cleverly used and manipulated text to provoke those who walked by. Eventually Basquiat’s renown grew, as he started a noise rock band, appeared in Edo Bertoglio’s indie film Downtown 81 and struck up a friendship with Andy Warhol. In 1982 — when he was 21 — Basquiat’s first solo show sold out. Experiencing sudden popularity, he found himself sharing ideas with David Bowie, briefly dating Madonna, appearing in music videos and gracing the cover of TIME Magazine. Now, more than 25 years after his death, his influence remains. His work is collected by celebrities and institutions alike, and he has been referenced in the lyrics of many contemporary rap artists including Jay-Z, Macklemore and Kanye West.
More about this exhibition (staff and volunteer previews, talks and tours), soon. Preparations are continuing!