This landmark volume tells the story of Jean-Michel Basquiat from the intimate perspective of his family, intertwining his artistic endeavors with his personal life, influences, and the times in which he lived, and features for the first time work from the Estateesquo;s largely unseen and significant collection of paintings, drawings, sketches, and ephemera.
Organised by the family of Basquiat, the exhibition and accompanying catalogue feature over 200 never before and rarely seen paintings, drawings, ephemera, and artefacts. The artistesquo;s contributions to the history of art and his exploration into our multi-faceted culture tdash; incorporating music, the Black experience, pop culture, African American sports figures, literature, and other sources tdash; are showcased alongside personal reminiscences and firsthand accounts providing unique insight into Basquiatesquo;s creative life and his singular voice that propelled the social and cultural narrative that continues to this day.
Structured around key periods in his life, from his childhood and formative years, his meteoric rise in the art world and beyond, to his untimely death, the book features in-depth interviews with his surviving family members.