The Barbican hosts the first large-scale exhibition in the UK of the work of American artist Jean–Michel Basquiat (1960–88). One of the most significant painters of the 20th century, Basquiat came of age in the late 1970s in the post-punk underground art scene in downtown New York. His vibrant imagery, abounding with fragments of bold text, offers insights into both his encyclopaedic interests and his experience as a young black artist with no formal training. Since his death in 1988, Basquiat has had remarkably little exposure in the UK; not a single work of his is held in a public collection here. More than any other exhibition to date, ‘Boom for Real’ focuses on the artist’s relationship to music, writing, performance, film and television, placing him within the wider cultural context of the time. Find out more about the ‘Basquiat: Boom For Real’ exhibition from the Barbican’s website.
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Jean–Michel Basquiat on the set of Downtown 81. © New York Beat Film LLC. By permission of The Estate of Jean–Michel Basquiat. Photo: Edo Bertoglio
Self Portrait (1984), Jean–Michel Basquiat. © The Estate of Jean–Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York
Anti-Baseball Card Product (1979), Jean–Michel Basquiat and Jennifer Stein. Courtesy Jennifer Von Holstein © Jennifer Von Holstein and The Estate of Jean–Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York
A Panel of Experts (1982), Jean–Michel Basquiat. Courtesy the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts © The Estate of Jean–Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York. Photo: MFA, Douglas M. Parker
Untitled (1982), Jean–Michel Basquiat. Courtesy Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam © The Estate of Jean–Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York. Photo: Studio Tromp, Rotterdam
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