Page 24 - YGARTUA: Magnum Opus - volume three
P. 24
Jean-Michel Basquiat was born on
December 22, 1960, in Brooklyn, New
York. He first attracted attention for
his graffiti under the name “SAMO”
in New York City.The neo-expressionist two good friends. They would forge one of
painter, of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent, the most important relationships within the
died in New York on August 12, 1988 of a history of contemporary art. Warhol, founding
heroin overdose. In his multicultural home, Father of Pop Art, and his much younger Neo-
the artist grew up speaking Spanish, French, Expressionist protege Basquiat emerged from
and English. different generations and backgrounds.
It was his graffiti tag “SAMO”(shorthand for But within the span of six years and a deeply
the “same old shit”) that first drew public intimate albeit turbulent friendship, the
attention. Basquiat created SAMO with his mutual respect and admiration that Basquiat
friend Al Diaz while the pair were in high and Warhol shared for one another inspired
school and the tag which often featured the two separately iconic bodies of work, which
copyright symbol, cropped up on buildings become eternally emblazoned within the
throughout lower Manhattan and Brooklyn highest echelons of fine art.
between 1977 and 1980.
“A World in Turmoil - It is times like this that
Warhol and Basquiat were an unlikely pair; two you want to make a statement through your art.
aesthetic pioneers from different generations, Reflecting upon the current political and social
two iconic creative minds of an era, and upheaval and the racial injustice that continues
20
