I made a trip out to the Brooklyn Museum Sunday to view the exhibit on Jean-Michel Basquiat, the graffiti artist turned darling of the downtown New York art community in the 1980’s. It’s an impressive display of his work spanning the entirety of his brief yet mercurial career.
The Brooklyn-born Basquiat made startling use of color, integrated text and poetry into his visuals, and incorporated themes reflective of the African Diaspora and his own Haitian-Puerto Rican heritage. I was personally fascinated by his use of different textures and materials. He created on canvas, wood, paper, even a football helmet.
More than 100 of his pieces will remain on display until June 5 and if you get over to see it (and I do recommend it), pick a day when you have ample time to take it all in slowly. There is great complexity to his work that requires reflection and understanding of context.
One minor flaw, which may necessitate a letter to the museum: The exhibit, which is spread out over two floors, concludes by flowing museum-goers into a gift shop, where there is wall-to-wall merchandise of every description adorned with Basquiat images and iconography. A crassly commercial end to an exemplary artistic presentation.
8 comments ↓
it must be wonderful seeing his work.. i saw a movie about his work several years ago and loved it.
It’s on my to-do list. Ironically, some of his later work was the most poignant. Vibrant colors.
i sure would love to see this exhibit.
The exhibit IS exhaustive in its range. It’s a great show though, with pictures of him @ work while you descend the stairs to the second floor of the exhibition.
I have to say, the museum often mounts gift shops at the end of their marquee exhibitions. Its annoying, but a good part of their income (I’m going to say 15%. Don’t quote me on it) comes from gift shop proceeds.
1. it’s a shame i live blocks aways and have not been to the exhibit yet
2. I hate that the term graf artist is applied to both Basquiat and Keith Haring, though Haring did tag the train lines, but neither ever did what original artists such as dondi, or lee, or futura did - sneaking into train yards or lay ups late at night to completely cover a train car with their own signarute style (but that’s an entirely different topic)
3. i don’t know that i’d be bothered that the exhibit ends with this commercial exploitation. if i truly enjoyed the exhibit, i might readily want to be able to purchase something that reflected the experience i just had. that’s just me though.
Unfortunately, the exhibit ending in a gift shop is the ‘in thing’ for many museums now. I’ve seen the National Gallery do it for a number of its shows in DC, and in Boston (Gaugin in Tahiti) and Montreal (Jean Cocteau) for their ‘blockbusters:’ no way out but through the shop. I’m not sure if its me or what, but it seems inevitable that they don’t have posters/postcards of some of the works I would most like to have copies of around me.
I wish I could see the exhibition! Please note that you can buy t-shirts with Basquiat’s works on them at Uni-glo stores which are Japan’s equivalent of The Gap/Old Navy.
I can’t wait to see it!