Only lasted 7 years, but Jean-Michel Basquiat&#39;s career left an impact that is rare.

A quick glance at the Untitled picture reveals skulls, bones, scribbles, cryptic symbols, messy overlapping brushstrokes; It's hard to believe this painting sold for $110 million in 2017 and made it into the top 10 most valuable works of all time. Robert Hughes, the greatest art critic of all time according to The Guardian, doesn't think so. He argues that Basquiat's paintings, since they received attention since the 1980s are overrated, that people were distracted from art by the changes in society at the time.

Robert isn't the only one who thinks Basquiat doesn't deserve the label of a million-dollar artist. Critic Hilton Kramer once commented that "the career of the late painter Jean-Michel Basquiat was one of those hoaxes during the art boom of the '80s," saying that "he made an incompetent man using his youth, looks, skin color and charisma for overnight fame&rdquo; to talk about Basquiat's untrained technique and his friendship with Andy Warhol.
The common argument is, dancers have to practice for a long time to be able to perform, singers have to train day after day to hold a microphone, why does Basquiat without going through any school can impress with his paintings? It is true that Jean-Michel had no professional training, but he learned a lot from the streets, from wandering around New York galleries, learning about human anatomy from the book Gray's Anatomy given to him by his mother. He didn't go to school, but he was always looking for opportunities to draw. When he couldn't afford paper and an easel, he painted all over the walls, furniture, and scraps of wood he found on the street.

Grinding makes perfect. Basquiat's "needle" is a very personal style, the social topics he encourages people to discuss. He stopped at the Neo-Expressionism school that allowed him to express his emotions with vibrant colors, bold lines and most importantly, the artist's very subjective view of the world around him. around, and Basquiat's world is a bad society, but there's no shortage of beauties.
Layer after layer of brush strokes depict an era when art was surrounded by consumerism, class differences and racism. In particular, people of color - "heroes, saints" in literature, music, and sports such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Muhammad Ali are often depicted with the crown by Basquiat.

Basquiat's painting looks like a child's scribble, a prehistoric painting filled with symbolism and pop culture inspiration, with vibrancy in color and meaning. Deeply hidden. Basquiat may not please art professionals, but he has the ability to empathize with millions of teenagers in America and around the world.
Basquiat is not concerned with the aesthetic suitability of the work, but with the emotion it brings to the viewer. Unlike Warhol, to understand Basquiat's paintings, one must understand his personality and character. There seems to be a rare intimate connection between the artist and the audience &ndash; they meet each other in broken lines of thought, in anxiety, indignation, and piled psychological burdens.
Perhaps that's why people say that his paintings are expensive, in the most positive sense possible: expensive in price, in spirit, in art, in desirable popularity.

Once you get to know the world of Basquiat a bit, keep in mind that he's not a perfect person. He doesn't do art just out of passion. On the contrary, he has ambitions for money and fame. Basquiat needed recognition from the art world and the public. In the 1980s, the artist was nothing more than a movie star. This allows young artists like Basquiat to thrive, but with it comes a lifestyle of partying, addiction, and inevitable prejudices.
In the case of Jean-Michel Basquiat, he became a globally famous artist, appeared on the cover of New York Times magazine, modeled for COMME des GAR&Ccedil;ONS, produced music, befriended many celebrities. , dated <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/music/young-photos-madonna-birthday-80s">Madonna</a>... But in the end, he understood his place in the white upper class, famous for wearing traditional African costumes to collectors' parties. But as soon as he left through the door, he couldn't catch a taxi. He entered the supermarket and immediately fell under the guard's sights. He was once detained at the airport for two hours, because no one believed that a black person could buy a business class seat.

Jean-Michel Basquiat lived in a world dominated by drugs, music, and television, where many young people were trapped, where art critics never lived in luxury. No matter how far-fetched their imaginations may be. When asked what he was angry about, Basquiat just remained silent, as if asking the other person "Still don't understand?"
34 years after Basquiat's death, we still see his influence on the modern art world. Banksy uses the famous crown motif in his work titled Banksquiat. Jay-Z once declared through the lyrics &ldquo;I am the new Jean-Michel.&rdquo; Wonder how Basquiat will react to these works? Or when he saw his painting in Tiffany's media campaign? The world has changed a lot, but is it enough to appease his wrath as well as that of the current youth?

Tracking Art: Bad Paintings, Expensive Paintings, and the Chaotic World of Basquiat

Tags

Related Articles

Art

Salvador Dalí: Revolutionizing the World with Extravagant Art

Design

"Thinking Design, Making Design" Experience and Heritage Meet at Issey Miyake

Art

Art Collaboration with Alexander McQueen and Artists

Recommended posts for you

Ibiza

A Signature Summer: Burberry Takes Over The Standard Ibiza

Ibiza

Summer Check

Ibiza

Where Everything Happens

Ibiza

Connected with Paradise

Ibiza

We Are the People

Food

FOODMO: The New Pressure to Eat on Trend

Hommes

Dior x Lewis Hamilton: An Afrofuturist Take on Sport & Style

Culture

Stars in the Stands at Wimbledon 2025