In 1981, poet, art critic and cultural provocateur;
my friend, Rene Ricard published "The Radiant Child"
in Artforum magazine, helping to launch My career to an international stage.
So,fame was gained...
first as a graffiti artist in New York City,
and then as a highly successful Neo-expressionist
artist in the international art scene.
(of the 1980s)
I dropped out of High School...
My mother, is Puerto Rican and my father,
is of Haitian origin...
I also have two sisters.
So -you will see signs of interest in my heritage all throughout my work...
I am obsessed with New York "UnderGround"....
I once painted the words "Little Shit Brown",
on my girlfriend's dress....
Also....
I was in a band called Grey...
The band Members are
myself Jean Michel Basquiat,
Michael Holman, Nick Taylor,
Wayne Clifford (aka Justin Thyme),
and Vincent Gallo.
check out the music here
http://www.myspace.com/gray1979nyc
(Grey's myspace page)
another little interesting fact is-
that in the fall of 1982, I started dating
an aspiring performer named Madonna!!! -I dated Madonna before she was "like a virgin"......
Heroin use eventually takes my life...
Basquiat_gun
photo by: Tseng Kwong Chi
"Self Portrait" 1986
Jean-Michel Basquiat
photo by: Lee Jaffe
"Self Portrait" 1986
The Crown is my trademark image...
my "tag" if you will...
appears often in my works, I include this
"crown" as a sign of
respect for my heroes or to mark them
as a "member of a royal family".
"Warrior" 1981
