Jean-Michel Basquiat was a renowned Neo-Expressionist painter, recognized for his unique approach to painting with graffiti-like images and scrawled text. Born in Brooklyn to a Puerto Rican mother and Haitian father, Basquiat’s multicultural roots became an inspiration for his groundbreaking artworks. He rose to fame in the early 1980s as part of the New York art scene, developing a distinctive visual vocabulary characterized by repetitive images, human heads with open mouths, and xeroxed collage.
Basquiat’s paintings and drawings were lauded for their biting social commentary on issues of race, class, and identity. He was one of the first African-American artists to achieve worldwide recognition in the art world despite having a short career. In 1982, his painting “Untitled” sold for $110.5 million at Sotheby’s auction house.
His raw gestural style is often compared to that of graffiti artistry as he used everything from scrap wood pieces to doors found on sidewalks. His striking imagery resonated with those who appreciated street culture as well as those who questioned societal norms. It enabled him to bridge worlds that other artists struggled with at that time; he achieved this through creating works that contained powerful messages yet were aesthetically appealing.
Jean-Michel Basquiat remains an inspiration for many modern-day artists due to his unique style and impact on the art world during his brief career span of just eight years before his untimely death at age 27 from heroin overdose.
All Jean-Michel Basquait Artwork on Artchive
| Artwork Name | Year | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Portrait as a Heel, Part Two | 1982 | Acrylic and oil paintstick on Canvas |
| Untitled (Skull) | 1981 | Acrylic,Crayon,Canvas |
| Hollywood Africans | 1983 | Acrylic,Crayon,Canvas |
| Untitled | 1982 | Acrylic and oil paintstick on Canvas |
| Untitled | 1984 | Acrylic, oil paintstick, and silkscreen on Canvas |
