Jean-Michel Basquiat

The legend of Jean-Michel Basquiat is as strong as ever. The artist, synonymous with New York in the 1980s, first appeared in the late 1970s under the name SAMO, posting sharp critiques and fragmented poems on the city's walls. He appeared as part of a thriving underground scene of visual art and graffiti, hip-hop, post-punk and DIY films, which came together in a thriving art world. A painter with a strong personal voice, Basquiat quickly broke into the established milieu and exhibited in galleries around the world. Basquiat's expressive style was based on crude figures and integrated words and phrases. His work was inspired by a pantheon of stars from jazz, boxing and basketball, with references to arcane history and the intrigues of life on the streets, so when asked about his subjects, Basquiat replied "royalty, heroism and the street. In 1983 he began collaborating with the most famous artist of all, Andy Warhol, and in 1985 he was on the cover of The New York Times Magazine. When Basquiat died at the age of 27, he was one of the most successful artists of his time. This book offers a unique look into Basq uiats art, with perfect reproductions of his most groundbreaking paintings, drawings and sketches.