art attack....

Basquiat at the Brooklyn Museum (Closes on Sunday!)
The exhibit is organized by year from 1981, when Basquiat's was first recognized by the art scene, until his death from an accidental drug over-dose in 1988 (he was 28). Basquiat and other East Village artists rejected the established gallery scene but collectors still came downtown drawn by a "nostalgie de la boue" (love of the mud) in search of a true, gritty NYC. Note the early use of non-traditional painting surfaces (doors, widows). This wasn't a choice. He was broke.



You know Basquiat's themes (himself, sports, music, stereotypes) and his style (graffiti, words, colorful, brash). The museum's wall text has factoids about the characters and words, some are African or Latino, that Basquiat repeats. He is clearly influenced by Picasso and Leonardo even though myth of Basquiat tends to underscore that he's a man without style forbearers. Also, look for the refined silkscreens around 1987.

Juicy Connections: Most of the paintings were loaned from the Peter and Stephanie (aka Stephanie Seymour) Brant Foundation. Brant serves on the board of the Guggenheim and is one of the largest collectors of Andy Warhol. He is also a print media mogul and an original investor
in Warhol's Interview magazine. Brant is also a big Basquiat collector and was the executive producer of the movie Basquiat(2003), which was written by Julian Schnabel.

Why do we care about the above connections? Well, that's a subject for a juicier Art Attack.