Hardcover 21x26cm 96 pages Basquiat - Taschen

From the streets of New York to the walls of the most prominent galleries plus, follow the dazzling, prolific and political career of Jean-Michel Basquiat, figure cult of artistic social criticism. This introduction reveals how the young pioneer drew inspiration from sources as varied as Greek, Roman and African art, French poetry and jazz, to créer visceral images blending words and vivid colors.

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

An icon of the 1980s in New York, Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) first made a name for himself with the tag "SAMO", before establishing his studio and finding himself catapulted to success at the age of 20. Although his career lasted barely 10 years, he remains a figure cult figure of artistic social criticism and a pioneer who brought the art of graffiti closer to that of the gallery.

Basquiat's work drew on a variety of media and sources to develop an insistent artistic vocabulary original, attacking structures of power and racism. His practice blended abstraction and figuration, poetry and painting, and drew inspiration fromGreek, Roman and African art, 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 silhouettes and brightly-colored daubs, among other things.

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