Hardcover book 21x26cm 96 pages Basquiat - Taschen

From the streets of New York to the walls of the most sought-after galleries, follow the meteoric, prolific and political career of Jean-Michel Basquiat, a cult figure of artistic social critique. This introduction reveals how the young pioneer drew inspiration from sources as varied as Greek, Roman and African art, French poetry and jazz, to create visceral images blending words and vivid colours.

The 1980s art star who brought poverty, power and racism to the forefront

A 1980s New York icon, Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988) first made his name with the tag "SAMO" before setting up his studio and being catapulted to success at the age of 20. Although his career lasted barely 10 years, he remains a cult figure of artistic social critique and a pioneer who brought graffiti art closer to gallery art.

Basquiat's work drew on a range of media and sources to develop an original and insistent artistic vocabulary, attacking the structures of power and racism. His practice combined abstraction and figuration, poetry and painting, and took its cues from Greek, Roman and African art as much as from French poetry, jazz and the work of contemporary artists such as Andy Warhol and Cy Twombly. The result is a vivid, visceral mix of words, African emblems, cartoon figures and splashes of bright colour, among much else.

This book presents Basquiat's brief but prolific career, his unique style and his deep engagement with questions of integration and segregation, poverty and wealth.