Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure Exhibit in NYC
I went to see the Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure Exhibit in New York City’s famous art gallery district in Chelsea. This was a long awaited visit by me and I was not disappointed. On the way over I took a snap of a spray painted stencil of a boy on the street with the prescient words: SEGUIMOS SIENDO NÍNOS which translates to “WE ARE STILL CHILDREN.” This seemed to be the theme of the day for me.
WE ARE STILL CHILDREN
It was a moving and emotional exhibit of this groundbreaking visionary artist who tragically died too young from a heroin overdose. Basquiat was a star of the New York City urban art scene in the 80’s and yet his work and perspective remains fresh and radical and relevant. Basquiat’s messages of racial pride and biting social commentary still resonate but also take on a deeper, more intimate meaning as shown to us through the lens of his family.
Upon crossing the threshold from the street outside you are immediately greeted by an almost floor to ceiling formal school photo of an adorable but serious young Basquiat that tugs at your heartstrings. The picture says circa 1965 so he would be 5 years old. A little further along there is a map of Brooklyn and Manhattan landmarked by the significant experiences in Basquiat's life from the mundane to international renown. His Jr. Brooklyn Art Museum pass is encased in display glass along with the doodles of his youth and there are painstakingly accurate recreations of his childhood home. We are now invested in this bright young precocious Brooklyn boy. He is not just Basquiat the famous artist, he is Jean-Michel the second but first surviving son of a Haitian father and Puerto Rican mother and the big brother of two sisters. He is one of us.
The show runs until January 1, 2023.
If you can’t make it to NYC in time, here is the accompanying catalogue for the exhibit. Within its pages are the over 200 works and belongings of the artist that are on display as well as the perspective from Jean-Michel Basquiat’s family.
Additional Basquiat items available to learn more about the artist or just to have a piece of his legacy.
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