Jean Michel Basquiat ; Bansky; Keith Haring; Gorden Bennett; Duchamp; Annandale Imitation Realists (Aust.

); Year Visual Arts Basquiat ; Bansky; Christo; Jean11Michel Case Study: Anti Art Basquiat Keith Haring; Gorden Bennett; Duchamp; Annandale Imitation Realists (Aust.); Christo; Jean Michel Basquiat ; Bansky; Keith Haring; Gorden Bennett; Duchamp; Annandale Imitation Realists (Aust.); Christo; Jean Michel Basquiat ; Bansky; Keith Haring; Gorden Bennett; Duchamp; Annandale Imitation Realists (Aust.); Christo; Jean Michel Basquiat ; Bansky; Keith Haring; Gorden Bennett; Duchamp; Annandale Imitation
12/16/2010 Kathy Dinh

1. Artist: Who was Basquiat?

Jean- Michel Basquiat, born on the December 22nd 1960, in Brooklyn, New York; was an American artist who started his career on the streets of New York City as a graffiti writer. His expressive forms were often involving marking the streets with his distinctive signature SAMO texts that are inspired by ideas from his life as well as from the world as it is revolving around him. Basquiat unfortunately passed away at the age of only 27 on the 12th of August, 1988 due to heroin overdose. Basquiat had no formal art training and was a self taught artist, however he gained influences from his mother who encouraged him to draw and paint at a young age. Basquiat started off working on the very streets of New York, ultilising the space provided at venues such as at d- trains and the walls of SoHo and East Village. However when Basquiat installed a series of paintings at the New York/New Wave exhibition at P.S.1 in 1981 and Time Square Show in 1980, his contributions attracted the attention of SoHo dealer, Annina Nosei; gaining recognition as well as the basement of her gallery for his studio. Thereafter, works we often created in the studio. His unique style of works soon after made its way into more exhibitions such as Documenta which is a major international exhibition featuring contemporary art that is held every five years in Germany. He had also exhibited his works as a one man show at Annina s gallery which had attracted significant attention from many. Soon after, Basquiat further exhibited his works at the Fun Gallery, held in the East Village where it was evaluated by critics and was praised for its originality and for his talents. Some significant events in Basquiat s life which may have affected his art was his relationship with his mother who had encouraged him from the start to draw, he too visited the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of New York with his mother regularly. An accident when he was young caused him to be in hospital, this however was a significant event as his mother gave him an illustrated human anatomy book, Gray s Anatomy which influenced many of this works. This is evident in "I'd say my mother gave me all the primary things. The art came from her." he said.1

2. Artwork- How did he make his art?

Artwork 1

Quote from: http://www.egodesign.ca/en/article_print.php?article_id=92

Title: Zydeco Style/ What it looks like: This artwork is a triptych which involves three parts to the work. On the middle canvas there is a man standing with an accordion, he is centrally placed and is surrounded by spontaneous objects including a microphone. The word Zydeco is repeated around the middle part of the canvas. Ideas: The work revolves around the concept of Zydeco which is a name given to describe the form of Cajun music; the title suggests this. This artwork connotates his interest in this style of music; the repetition of the word Zydeco and the microphone indicate this. Subject matter: His expression of his love for the style of zydeco

Artwork 2:

Title: Negro Period (1986) Mediums/ Materials: A painting and collage on wood, multi media work with the use of bottle caps, acrylic, oil and Xerox. Style/What it looks like? This artwork consists of a total of three panels; two of which are created through a combination of differing textual images that has been Xeroxed from his own personal sketchbooks. These two panels have been framed with a red painted wood, with one image placed onto the corners of each panel. The images are taken almost at random and are collaged, the images utilised include a range of words and symbols, black heads, anatomical drawings as well as free form painting. The third panel consists of one larger single painting which has been painted on an old door. Ideas: The diverse and randomised images used for the collage suggests various meanings to the work. It almost acts as a large scrapbook, noting down the history of black men, which shows a mix of the black people throughout history. This is further demonstrated on the third panel which seems to be a man, hence showing this concept. Subject matter: The title Negro Period ; he relates this artwork to the black people in history. However it can also be seen to be influenced from Picasso s poque ngre or (Negro Period).

Artwork 3:
Title: Tobacco Versus Red Chief Medium/Materials: Oil and oil stick on canvas Style/ What it looks like? It consists of a single canvas, conveying an image of an American Indian chief which is centred in the middle of the canvas. His arms are raised which indicates its traditional Indian gestures of greeting and is holding three cigars in his hand whilst staring at them. On the background, there is scenery of his land, there are two tents bordered with a barbed wire. Ideas: The message of the painting is shown through the image of the cigars; it seems to suggest that the chief has received these as an exchange for his land. This concept is revolving around his purpose of critically commenting on American history in relations to the treatment towards Indians. Subject Matter: He exposes the issue of equal treatment towards the overall minority groups in particular the Indigenous Indians.

3. World- Social Context

a) Many of Basquiat s works take their influences from the art scene of New York in the 1980s; this includes influences from events as well as music present at the time. His recurrent themes which are found common in numerous artworks are kings, heroes and the street; the heroes that were represented often came from sport and music. Music from artists such as Sugar Ray Robinson as well as jazz musicians for example Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. An example of an artwork that was a direct influence on his work is Now s the Time (1985) which is a tribute for a jazz musician Birdy . Basquiat also assimilates new trends in music in genres such as hip hop and punk, an example of a band is Blondie . Basquiat furthermore took inspirations from the streets around New York and everyday events that occur from time to time; this is evident in "I am an artist who has been influenced by New York environment. 2 b) Street artists including Basquiat, has one thing in common and that is the use of streets of city to create artworks or street art which very much differ from the arts produced by mainstream artists. Artists such as these often produced art which questioned the role of high art and also what was considered art in which they have effectively raised these questions through their use of unique and confronting style of art as well as the distinct locations of their artworks. Street art is displayed in various locations around cities that were considered unusual for artworks to be found. This allowed artists to raise these questions more effectively as it is exposed to all to see and to the interest of a wider audience regardless of differing social classes for

1.

Quote from: http://www.vingtparismagazine.com/2010/10/samo-from-the-streets-to-the-galleries-basquiatat-mam.html

example, who would find it difficult to attend museums and galleries. This use of space discards all the limitations and restrictions that is involved when viewing artworks especially if it is in galleries and exhibitions so therefore it reinforces the larger range of audience who are now able to see and witness the art much more intrinsically. Techniques used by graffiti artist such as the appropriation of well-known artworks and icons allowed the audience to view the artwork through a differing aspect of understanding art. This also provokes the audience to be aware and maybe even critical of the issue of high art and what was considered art. c) Works were exhibited at many exhibitions, this includes:

One Person Shows

1981 Galleria Emilio Mazzoli, Modena 1982 Marlborough Gallery, New York

Major Museum Shows

1982. Works included in group show Avanguardia e Transavanguardia '68 - '77, Rome. 1983. Works included in group exhibition Whitney Biennial, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. 1984. Paintings included in Museum of Modern Art's re-opening group exhibition, International Survey of Painting and Sculpture" New York. 2001. One person exhibition, "Jean-Michel Basquiat The Mugrabi Collection," Museum Wrth, Knzelsau, Germany. Sept. 2001 to June 2002. 2005. One person retrospective, "Jean-Michel Basquiat" Museo d'Arte Moderna, Lugano, Italy. March 20 to June 14. 2006. One person exhibition, Jean-Michel Basquiat 1981: The Studio of the Street, Deitch Projects (currated by Glenn OBrien and Diego Cortez), New York, May 4 to May 27. 2010. One person retrospective, "Jean-Michel Basquiat" Foundation Beyeler, Basel, Switzerland, May 9 to September 5, 2010 (travels to Muse d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris Oct. 15 2010 to January 30, 2011).

1983 Galerie Akira Ikeda, Tokyo

1984 The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh

1985 Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York (Warhol / Basquiat collaborations) 1987 Daniel Templon, Paris

1988 Hans Mayer Gallery, Dsseldorf

*More exhibitions are listed here: http://www.basquiatbiography.com/basquiat-exhibitions d) Gorden Bennett Gorden Bennett is an Indigenous Australian artist who has worked in a similar way to Basquiat. His artworks reflects many aspects such as issues of Australia s colonial past and postcolonial issues as well as focusing on the role of power, the shaping of identity, culture and history through a national as well as an international perspective. In some works he aims to raise questions of the dominant role of white culture in the construction of the social and cultural landscape of Australia. Bennett uses techniques such as appropriation from artists such as Basquiat and recontextualises them into his artworks, this creates extra meanings to his artworks. Artworks such as the series Notes to Basquiat take a direct inspiration and response from the artwork style of Basquiats . This series of works incorporates a combination of Australian and American cultures in relations which shows his global perspective in art. Basquiat and Bennett both have similarities that arise in their artworks is the shared view of alike western culture traditions as well as the passion with drawing, painting with the use of visual language and symbols. His series Notes to Basquiat uses the similar components as Basquiats artworks, Bennett uses images of the body to convey emotions such as pain and anguish, like Basquiat, his works are layered and often include images and references from various sources. In his artist s statement, composed as a letter to Basquiat, Bennett says: I guess it spoke to me of

the traces of different experience and layers that make us the individuals we are and the histories of shared experience and levels we can relate to each other as human beings in the world of material existence, even though we may be separated by cultural context, time, space and death. 3 An example of an artwork is Notes to Basquiat: Culture Bag which includes a shadow of Basquiat s trademark hairstyle behind a skull. Bennett s series of work is symbol of his acknowledgement of Basquiat s influence as an artist.

4. Audience- who was his audience?

Quotes from critics: though Basquiat s images look quite vivid and sharp at first, and though from time to time he could bring off an intriguing passage of spiky marks or a brisk clash of blaring colour, [his] work settles into the visual monotony if arid [dry] overstyling. Its relentless fortissimo [steady loudness] is tiring... Robert Hughes, American Visions "a knockout combination of de Kooning and subway scribbles." Jeffrey Dietch, Art in America, 1980

Quotes from artist: I don t listen to what art critics say. I don t know anybody who needs a critic to find out what art is Believe it or not, I can actually draw

There were many artists who viewed Basquiats works, Indigenous artist, Gorden Bennett whose works were a direct influence from Basquiat s artworks. Other artists include Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Banksy. Graffiti Art reached a wide audience through the open publicity of the artworks; they are exposed and confronted by many as the works almost becomes an everyday icon on the streets whereas works stored in galleries are much more conservative. These bare artworks soon gained recognition and people soon consumed themselves in the different and unique arts in which before was not considered to be art. Through referencing, appropriating and recontextualising of familiar icons and images, Graffiti Art challenged the conventional ways of viewing art and opened new possibilities of understanding the subjects that graffiti artists explored. As graffiti art became more popular, and as more and more people understand the underlying messages of many of the graffiti art, this resulted in a change in the perspective of high art and the change in the view of the concept of elitism. Most of Basquiat s works are expose, to criticise and to confront issues that appeal to his interests such as the view on black Americans as well as other issues in his life.

Quote from: http://www.visualarts.qld.gov.au/apt3/artists/artist_bios/gordon_bennett_a.htm

Bibliography
p p p p p p p p p p p p p p http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/95dec/basquiat.html http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/basquiat/professional-artist.php http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=4746613 http://www.basquiatbiography.com/news/negroperiodandotherworksonview http://www.ubs.com/4/artcollection/the-collection/a-z/basquiat-jean-michel-16/tobacco-versusred-chief-77/description/index.html http://fashiontribes.typepad.com/main/2005/05/untitled_podcas_40.html http://www.vingtparismagazine.com/2010/10/samo-from-the-streets-to-the-galleries-basquiat-atmam.html http://www.english.rfi.fr/visiting-france/20101107-basquiat-street-canvas http://www.visualarts.qld.gov.au/apt3/artists/artist_bios/gordon_bennett_a.htm http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/gordonbennett/education/intro.html http://www.shermangalleries.com.au/artists/inartists/artist_profile.asp%3Fartist=bennettg.html Book: Art in Sight; Second edition, Lou Chamberlin http://purple.niagara.edu/cam/special/Art_of_80s/Artists/basquiat.html