His work telegraphed that our stories - our double consciousness, our ability to see the commodification of race and our reluctant, indignant, complicity in that commodification - could be transformed into a striking visual language, channeled into work both breathtaking and original, cryptic and painfully clear. His courage shaped us, showed us how to make art that challenged assumptions about high and low, rich and poor, black and white. In the circle of artists I feel fortunate to call friends and colleagues, Jean-Michel's name has been uttered a thousand times - he's our hero, inspiration and cautionary tale.
Since his death in 1988, he has been immortalized in countless museum catalogues and even more Ph.D theses, and rendered larger than life on the silver screen by none other than the king of the eighties art world himself, Julian Schnabel. Much has been written about Jean-Michel Basquiat, the childlike savant and startlingly brilliant neo-expressionist who went down in a ball of heroin, cocaine and rage before his prime - before he could see his paintings sell at Christie's for $49 million, before he was compared to Picasso and de Kooning. Your purchase helps support NPR programming. Close overlay Buy Featured Book Title Widow Basquiat Author Jennifer Clement
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