Jean - Michel Basquiat.....................
..........................................................................................................................is an artist who became famous so easily and fast.
I don’t know who made an artist famous and popular among public. Definitely
there need to be higher level skill of making art, but time and the surrounding
also play an important role. Basquiat is living in the street of New York and
wandering to the street with his graffiti.
How
is
he
that
we are talking about?
Yes, He is a late 19th
century’s young and famous artist in New York art circle. He was an example of change
of social class from rag to riches. It is not a bad thing to have a life chances,
unless it happen so sudden or unexpectedly. For instance, one doesn’t have a quarter
in his or her pocket to spend and next day s/he has millions of dollars to
spend, we can imagine how that feels. I think that individual person become
mad, crazy and uncontrollable because of that drastic change in a life. Getting
money in hand is wonderful, but it’s very challenging to use wisely. Otherwise,
the person will be overwhelmed and don’t know what to do with all these money.
That’s what happened to Jean – Michel Basquiat with his speedy transmission in
social life and level. He move from card-box house to expensive condo, from rambling
on the street to driving limo car, eating on the street to very renown and
expensive hotel, and from his old friend to rich group of people. All these
happened so suddenly that he doesn’t know how to handle it. He can’t decide
what and who is important in his life, therefor he lost all his old friends and
his own life where he can do whatever he liked to do. 
People appreciate his
work so much that every single show was sold in a few hours of opening day, and
people and art dealer gave him so much presser to produce a huge amount of work
in a short period of time. Meanwhile, if someone tried to told him what they
want to make him so that match their interior, he would throw whatever is in
front of him to the person. That’s what I liked about him a most is respect for
art. Art can be decorative piece if some artist intended it to be, but it’s not
that all art is for decorative piece. This kind of mentality is so
disrespectful to art and artist. He said that he was so much inspired by Picasso’s
work Geurnica, because that’s one
painting he saw and observe from his childhood with his mother.  |
| Picasso, Geurnica, 1937 |
Basquiate work is so strong with
works and drawings that come unconsciously to his mind and his hands just move.
I think he didn't know what he is doing with his hand, but at the same time he
know exactly what he is working with his mind. His every brush stroke of line
and color was so strongly impress into the canvas that nobody can imagine. He
live in present and work in past, I mean he watch television and listen to the
music continuously, and read almost everything and get an inspiration from
everything. He had such a deep knowledge of every historical movement and show
very strong imitation to race and ethnicity. He really didn't like when people
show discrimination toward him. Every single work of his reflects his nature
and personality. Even though, he is physically
not existed around us we can look at his work and feel him among us. All his
works are so strong that we can feel his presence among us.
In his life time of 27 years
in this earth he made some collaborative work with Andy Warhol, and people
believe that they are very close and love to each other. He sold his few
postcards to Andy Warhol at the coffee shop and makes a big impress on him. Afterward,
they are together until people and media started to talk about Warhol taking
advantage of him and he is a chained dog of Warhol. They never saw each other
and Warhol died very suddenly and Basquiate started to consume an excessive
drug. Lately, that is the cause of ending one wonderful life and strong artist
forever.
 |
| Riding a Death, 1986 |
