Kathy Belous 1 Basquiat: Imitation or Value? Ronald Reagan was president, John Lennon was assassinated, AIDS was named by the United States Center for Disease Control, Apple introduced the first Macintosh® computer, and the United States invaded Panama. These are only some of the interesting events that took place in the nineteen eighties. In the art world this decade was a crucial turning point. Movements such as East Village scene, Neo-Expressionism, and Graffiti Art are only a few examples of the artistic styles in this era. Graffiti Art is primarily associated with street culture and a hidden language of signs and symbols, which usually remain constant. This was a period of boom and bust. Artists in their mid-twenties became glamorous superstars who couldn’t make work fast enough for their consumers. In a decade of “Reagonomic-driven conspicuous consumption, the art world participated fully, promoted inflated prices and shooting star careers. Many of the artists who came to prominence in that era remain major figures in contemporary art.” (Lacayo 58) The postwar baby boom, 1946-1960, led to a numerous increase of art-school grads in the early 80’s. Artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Charles Clough, and Cindy Sherman emerged, working in a wide variety of styles particularly using contemporary pop culture as their main subject matter. The art world of the 80’s produced a more commercial and flamboyant breed of artists, in contrast with the 70’s, when artists avoided producing flashy work, leaving little to be bought and hung in some pompous guy’s apartment (Lacayo 59). Political conservatism combined with technological innovations gave voice to the voiceless, graffiti as an example. Many Kathy Belous 2 collectors were also tired of the minimalism used in the prior decade, so artists like Basquiat, who were not minimalist, achieved great popularity. A classical Basquiat painting was cluttered, intricate, and dripping from all directions, as works by Jeff Koons also portrayed. Along with many other artists, Cindy Sherman, Tom Butter, and Jean-Michel Basquiat were highly influenced by event happenings like the Collaborative Project’s (Colab) “Time Square Show,” the lower East Side gallery ABC No Rio, and the Bronx space Fashion Moda. These were all places that which showed how success in the art world can be achieved outside Soho’s commercial scene, otherwise known as the East Village Scene. The East Village Art Scene is a term used to describe New York City’s Lower East Side, an area bounded by Houston Street, 15th Street, Avenue A, and the East River, lasting from around 1980 to 1984 (Schjeldahi 100). It offered an atmosphere where artists could exhibit work that was never done before and was not well suited for the established corporate art world, usually referred to as the ‘commercial scene’. Around 1987, most of the East Village galleries had closed and a proceeding movement emerged, Neo-Expressionism. This movement can be categorized as the second wave in the art world, after East Village. “Neo-Expressionism is characterized by intense subjectivity of feeling and aggressively raw handling of materials. These paintings are typically large and rapidly executed, sometimes with found objects embedded in their surfaces. They are usually figurative, often with violent or doom-laden subjects,” explains Jeremy Strick (director of the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art). Kathy Belous 3 Many artists who became known in the 80’s remain important now, as they introduced a new energized era replacing the previous one of composition and refinement. These artists were fully aware of past traditions along with present pop culture, which they demonstrated in their art. Jean-Michel Basquiat is a pertinent example who unfortunately died early in his career. Nevertheless, he became a symbol for the frantic pace of the era and is a grand contribution to the progress of contemporary art. Jean-Michel Basquiat was one of the major icons in the 80’s. Even though his popularity was in part a result of his pop culture appeal, time has shown that his art has enduring value. Jean-Michel Basquiat was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1960. His father, Gerard Basquiat, was a Haitian-American accountant while his mother, Matilde, was a fashion designer from Puerto Rico. Basquiat and his mom had a close relationship, as she was the one who nurtured his talent for art from an early age. “The art,” he said, “came from her.” (Danto 26) He dropped out of high school, St Ann’s Catholic School, and left home by the age of 17. He was discovered by the art world as the graffitist SAMO (“same ol’ shit”). Basquiat had done his first painting on a sheet of metal and other materials found in trash cans, including an old refrigerator. He painted stick figures, symbols, and the words ‘THREAT’ and ‘EXIT’ in vibrant colors. Basquiat quickly earned his reputation by being the ‘bad boy’ of contemporary art, collecting images of literally anything, from political issues to advertisements, and “defaced and reframed then in wild colors with what many called a primitive energy and passion,” states Arnold Lehman, director of the Brooklyn Museum. Kathy Belous 4 Primitivism is a style of art in which the artist expresses himself as a less sophisticated person, but in Basquiat’s work this technique is not completely evident. He was an intelligent individual, who may have played around with primitivism but his work is more clearly understood as an ironic critique of society and the art world. Though he did exemplify this style to some extent, he did so to present his attitude on certain issues and grab the attention of the public by doing so in ‘primitive’ way. As Basquiat once stated, “I cross out words so you will see them more; the fact that they are obscure makes you want to read them.” (Danto 25) He frequently used arbitrary terms and symbols, particularly the trademark® and copyright© signs, which he placed anywhere on the canvas, as a mockery of the concept of artistic ownership. Also, in one of his pieces from 1981 titled TAR TOWN©, he wrote: JIMMY BEST ON HIS BACK TO THE SUCKERPUNCH OF HIS CHILDHOOD FILES. For Basquiat, it was enough to have included the words ‘childhood files’ for the reference to his black and Latin background to be drawn (Hubbar 31). This oblique reference not only characterizes Basquiat’s original style, but it demonstrates his self-pleasing artistic attitude. He created art primarily for himself and since he made it, he obviously understood it. For many, it would be difficult to read the scribbled writing and from two words determine the theme, but that is what distinguished Basquiat’s art from the rest. It was very complex and integrated with many hidden messages, usually consistent ones throughout his art. An example, along with the copyright one, is his clear admiration for Black culture and Black pop culture icons. Basquiat’s ancestry had a major influence on his art and reputation. For some, it was difficult to grasp the fact that a black artist was doing so well in, essentially, in a Kathy Belous 5 white-art world, while others accepted his achievement of international fame. These critics, however, didn’t prevent Basquiat from embedding a ‘black’ theme in much of his work. As Mr. Lehman states, “Basquiat single-handedly brought the black experience into the white art-world establishment.” He consistently included historical figures such as Malcolm X, Langston Hughes, and Marcus Garvey in his art, as well as pop culture stars such as Sugar Ray Robinson, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, and Charlie Parker. He often included references to racism, oppression, and genocide with words such as: SLAVE SHIPS, DARK CONTINENT, NEGROES, HARLEM, GHETTO, and VASCO DA GAMA. Much of his association with graffiti art had a lot more to do with racial politics than art techniques and criticism. Basquiat’s work does incorporate some characteristics of graffiti art, but it was more a combination of styles. The resemblance to graffiti art is mainly based upon the fact that he consistently used textual elements in his work. When Basquiat first emerged, after dropping out of high school, he and his friend, Al Diaz, drew graffiti slogans with a Magic Marker on walls in New York, signing SAMO (Lucie-Smith 20). Later, the sense of hip-hop association and the constant use of hidden symbols and language still remained evident in his art, connecting him again to the graffiti movement. Another style Basquiat has always been closely connected to is Neo-Expressionism. In the summer of 1980, he took part in the “Times Square Show”, East Village Scene, where he displayed a wall covered in spray paint and brushy, figurative strokes of paint. This was the beginning of his art career, already exemplifying Neo-Expressionism, a style which had died out but was later brought back in the 80’s. Due to Kathy Belous 6 this movement, the downtown art world had experienced dramatic changes, and luckily Basquiat fit in perfectly. Plagens and Chideya found that his “brilliantly splashy work merged flawlessly with the new ethos, and the fact that he painted in designer suits, rather than the working-class blue jeans and flannel shirts of an earlier generation, embodied the shift in self-perception” (67). This ‘shift’ reflected not only the transition from minimalism to expressionism in the art world, but also the change from discrete to load artists themselves. This, in turn, affected the artist’s physical appearance as well as their ‘self-perception’, providing a more confidence driven breed of artists. In Basquiat’s case, he demonstrated his elite, carefree style by painting splashy and energetic pieces in Armani suits while barefoot, definitely leaving the subtle aspect behind. Basquiat primarily made painting on large canvasses, which contradicted the Neo-Expressionism definition, but blended well with the booming economy of the era. The size ultimately increased the value of the work and many critics, like Mary Boone, said that Basquiat was “too concerned about prices and money.” In reality, however, as his under-priced work at the Fun Gallery portrayed, this myth of love for money over art soon disappeared. This particular event, at the Fun Gallery, was granted to Basquiat primarily because of Andy Warhol’s initial efforts in bringing Basquiat into the art scene. Basquiat’s involvement with Andy Warhol, a famous pop culture artist in the 80’s, began before his recognition as an artist. Basquiat constantly left graffiti messages at Warhol’s apartment, where he later became a tenant, until finally he gained access to the Warhol Factory. From then, their relationship flourished and Warhol became a sort of father-figure for Basquiat. Due to their close friendship and collaborations in the art world, critics such as John Russel suggested that “Basquiat has become too obviously Kathy Belous 7 influenced by Warhol.” (Johnson E39) This review, in turn, lead to Basquiat’s severe attempt to separate himself from Warhol. Likewise, Victor Bockris, author of Warhol’s biography, stated that by September 1985, when their collaborative show premiered at the Tony Shafrazi gallery, the two were not even speaking. The negative reaction by critics to their show along with their now edgy relationship affected the actual work the two artists produced together, as well as their individual work later on. In fact, Warhol and Basquiat had significant artistic impact on each other. Warhol responded to Basquiat’s influence by putting away silk screens and returning to hand painting from enlarged newspapers and advertisements. On the other hand, Basquiat abandoned his technique of color xeroxing for the use of silk screens, a little role reversal. Cy Twombly, a graffiti artist who was prominent in the 1950’s, also had an important impact of Basquiat’s work. “From Cy Twombly, Basquiat took license and instruction on how to draw, scribble, write, collage, and paint simultaneously,” states writer Rene Richard. The similarities are found particularly in a piece by Twombly that Basquiat acknowledged as his favorite, titled the “1975 Apollo and the Artist”. Twombly wrote “Apollo” in large blue letters with wax crayon across the top of the painting. Then later, Basquiat made a comparable painting titled “CPRKR.” He too, wrote “CPRKP” in black paint across the top. A famous quote by Rene Richard goes “If Cy Twombly and Jean Dubuffet had a baby and gave it up for adoption, it would be Jean-Michel. The elegance of Twombly is there…and so is the brut of the young Dubuffet…” (McEvilley A93) Jean Dubuffet, 1901-1985, was a French artist who was mainly associated with primitivism. So as Jean-Michel had both Twombly’s graffiti style and Dubuffet’s primitive technique, he was constantly linked to the two artists. But the word linked does Kathy Belous 8 not imply imitation. Basquiat’s original style and charisma was well presented in each of his pieces, combining techniques he picked up from previous artists but the majority still amounting to his own. Jean-Michel did not make it through the end of this decade. The more fame and money he obtained, the more he wasted away because of drugs. He was severely addicted to heroin and unfortunately, that is what caused his death on August 12, 1988. But, like many artists, his death only contributed to his prominence. Needless to say, while Jean-Michel was still alive, newspaper headlines and reports appeared nearly every week about his work. He was the artist who got ‘hot’ in a flash, but “he was fiercely original,” says Jeremy Strick. “It was his determination to find his own voice that made Basquiat’s art so important” (Johnson E39). Take a look at any piece, and each has its own theme and uniqueness accompanying it. Now in Manhattan, one can walk around Soho on any day and find Basquiat’s followers. These artists are easily spotted by their extravagant dreadlocks and paintings smeared with slogans and primitivist style cartoons. Tagging in subway stations, on walls, and other objects found on the streets, these artists obviously have in mind the great Basquiat (Lucie-Smith 21). Not only has his influence endured beyond his death, but individuals strive to become him, by creating the kind of art he did. In a sense, Jean-Michel contributed to the definition of modern art. When terms like graffiti, expressionism, or even East Village come up, Basquiat’s work comes to mind. Basquiat turned out to be the essential American Neo-Expressionist painter of the early nineteeneighhties Although the art world is a place of very diverse practices these days, “two legacies of the eighties turn up everywhere in the work of younger artists: an adolescent Kathy Belous 9 obsession with pop culture and a very grownup dedication to career management, in other words Jean-Michel Basquiat.” (Lacayo 60) And as Robert Hughes wrote, “Basquiat was a model for stars waiting to be born.” This just goes to show that is was not only Basquiat’s art which continues to find imitation and exert influence, but his life and character do as well. While Basquiat emerged as a talented artist, he became an example for future generations. Now imagine how valuable and pricey the original work must be. An average painting by Basquiat ranges anywhere from the hundred thousands to millions of dollars. In fact, last June an untitled Basquiat from 1982, a head with fangs, sold at an auction in London for 4.5 million dollars. In 2002 Lars Ulrich, Metallica drummer, bought “Profit 1” for a record 5.5 million dollars. But more than half the work Basquiat created never got out into the public. Only now are most of his pieces being sold and auctioned off. In Manhattan, “Untitled 1983” was sold at an art convention for 1.3 million dollars in 2000 and “NOW Olive Oyl” was sold for 2.4 million, also in New York (Goodale A16). The list goes on, while prices stay moderately the same and this just goes to show the value of true art. People are willing to spend obscene amounts of money, not for just anything, but for a real painting created by Jean-Michel Basquiat. Basquiat’s paintings did not only end up in homes, however. Museums and galleries exhibit his work all the time. More recently, on June 5th, Brooklyn held a major museum show titled “Basquiat” which moved to Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. MOCA displayed a portfolio of about 32 drawings Basquiat made, named “Daros Suite.” Meanwhile, the New Museum of Contemporary Art in Manhattan held a large show titled “East Village USA” and a smaller one ran at the Cheim & Read West 25th Kathy Belous 10 Street Manhattan, titled “Jean-Michel Basquiat: In Word Only.” Of course, these are only some exhibitions displaying Basquiat’s work, but they happened to be a few of the biggest and well-known modern art museums in the United Sates. So if these places feel that it is important to display pieces Jean-Michel created, then there must be some value to them. In addition, these museums wouldn’t last unless viewers were interested in what was being presented. Basically, what all this amounts to is that, although Basquiat’s work in some ways personified trends of the 80’s, his art still has significant worth. As Phoebe Hoban, author of Basquiat’s biography, once stated, “he was the Jimmi Hendrix of the art world.” His art and spirit will last through many generations, but sadly he didn’t. One of his last works is titled “Riding With Death.” On a brown canvas, Basquiat drew a brown and black figure sitting on a horse’s skeleton with crosses in the eyes of the skull. Horse is slang for heroin, and as such, this ‘horse’ takes the rider out of this world, mercilessly. This work was a self-portrait, an obituary he painted for himself. Basquiat died at the mere age of 28, but left a profound impact on the contemporary art world. Kathy Belous 11 Works Cited Armand, Louis. Identity and the Art of Dis(empowerment). 2001. 11 Nov. 2005 `````
. Brooklyn Museum On View: Basquiat. 2005. 23 Oct. 2005 `````. Danto, Arthur C. “Flyboy in the Buttermilk: Jean-Michel Basquiat.” Nation 9 May 2005: 111125-28. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Santa Monica Community Coll. Lib., Santa ``````Monica, CA. 10 Oct. 2005 . Goodale, Gloria. “Short Life, Big Impact: Basquiat.” Christian Science Monitor 29 July 2005: `````A16. ProQuest. Santa Monica Community Coll. Lib., Santa Monica, CA. 10 Oct. 2005 `````. Hubbar, Sue. “Death In the Urban Jungle.” New Statesman & Society 22 Mar. 1996: 31. `````Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Santa Monica Community Coll. Lib., Santa `````Monica, CA. 11 Nov. 2005 . Johnson, Ken. “Fire Under the Ashes – from Picasso to Basquiat.” The New York Times 19 Dec. `````2003: E39. ProQuest. Santa Monica Community Coll. Lib., Santa Monica, CA. 10 Oct. 2005 `````. Kathy Belous 12 Lacayo, Richard. “How Does ‘80s Art Look Now.” Time 28 Mar. 2005: 58-62. Academic Search `````Premier. EBSCOhost. Santa Monica Community Coll. Lib., Santa Monica, CA. 23 Oct. 2005 `````. Lucie-Smith, Edward. "The Writing on the Wall." Art Review 48 Mar. 1996: 20-2. `````Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Santa Monica Community Coll. Lib., Santa `````Monica, CA. 23 Oct. 2005 . McEvilley, Thomas. "Royal Slumming: Jean-Michel Basquiat Here Below." Artforum 31 Nov. `````1992: A92-97. ProQuest. Santa Monica Community Coll. Lib., Santa Monica, CA. 30 Oct. `````2005 . Plagens, Peter and Farai Chideya. “Painter in the Fast Lane.” Newsweek 9 Nov. 1992: 67. `````Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Santa Monica Community Coll. Lib., Santa Monica, `````CA. 10 Oct. 2005 . Schjeldahi, Peter. “Young Fun.” The New Yorker 4 April 2005: 100-101. Academic Search `````Premier. EBSCOhost. Santa Monica Community Coll. Lib., Santa Monica, CA. 10 Nov. ``````2005 .
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