BASQUIAT BOOM FOR REAL 191115_Basquiat_Book_Spreads.indd 1 20.11.19 14:31 EDITED BY DIETER BUCHHART AND ELEANOR NAIRNE WITH LOTTE JOHNSON 191115_Basquiat_Book_Spreads.indd 2 20.11.19 14:31 BASQUIAT BOOM FOR REAL PRESTEL MUNICH · LONDON · NEW YORK 191115_Basquiat_Book_Spreads.indd 3 20.11.19 14:31 191115_Basquiat_Book_Spreads.indd 4 20.11.19 14:31 191115_Basquiat_Book_Spreads.indd 5 20.11.19 14:31 191115_Basquiat_Book_Spreads.indd 6 20.11.19 14:31 8 FOREWORD JANE ALISON 4. JAZZ 12 BOOM, BOOM, BOOM FOR REAL 156 INTRODUCTION DIETER BUCHHART 158 BASQUIAT, BIRD, BEAT AND BOP 20 THE PERFORMANCE OF FRANCESCO MARTINELLI JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT ELEANOR NAIRNE 162 WORKS 178 ARCHIVE 1. SAMO© 5. ENCYCLOPAEDIA 28 INTRODUCTION 188 INTRODUCTION 30 THE SHADOWS 190 BASQUIAT’S BOOKS CHRISTIAN CAMPBELL ELEANOR NAIRNE 33 WORKS 194 WORKS 58 ARCHIVE 224 ARCHIVE 2. NEW YORK/ 6. THE SCREEN NEW WAVE 232 INTRODUCTION 66 INTRODUCTION 234 SCREENS, STEREOTYPES, SUBJECTS JORDANA MOORE SAGGESE 68 EXHIBITIONISM CARLO MCCORMICK 242 WORKS 72 WORKS 252 ARCHIVE 90 ARCHIVE 262 INTERVIEW BETWEEN 3. THE SCENE JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT, GEOFF DUNLOP AND SANDY NAIRNE 98 INTRODUCTION 268 CHRONOLOGY 100 SAMO©’S NEW YORK LOTTE JOHNSON GLENN O’BRIEN 280 ENDNOTES 104 WORKS 288 INDEX 146 ARCHIVE 294 AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES 295 IMAGE CREDITS 191115_Basquiat_Book_Spreads.indd 7 20.11.19 14:31 Edo Bertoglio. Jean-Michel Basquiat wearing an American football helmet, 1981. 8 191115_Basquiat_Book_Spreads.indd 8 20.11.19 14:31 FOREWORD JANE ALISON Jean-Michel Basquiat is one of the most significant painters This is therefore a timely presentation of a formidable talent of the 20th century; his name has become synonymous with and builds on an important history of Basquiat exhibitions notions of cool. Yet he remains a somewhat misunderstood here in the UK. Few people recall that his work was presented figure, a result, perhaps, of individual works seldom being at the Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh in 1984. Curated by given the scholarly attention that they deserve. The myth Mark Francis, this exhibition was Basquiat’s first in a public takes over. Too often his exquisite paintings and drawings gallery anywhere in the world. The Serpentine’s 1996 are divorced from the context of their making, the exhibition was similarly a landmark occasion. That said, downtown New York scene of the late 1970s and 80s, an Boom for Real features more than 100 works, the majority extraordinary moment that shaped him and that he made of which are being seen here for the first time. entirely his own. This book is rich in thought-provoking material, compiled Basquiat: Boom for Real addresses these omissions. Deftly to satisfy Basquiat scholars and admirers alike. It is fuelled curated by Dieter Buchhart and the Barbican’s own Eleanor by the same desire as that which underpins the exhibition Nairne, the show, to which this groundbreaking book is – to forensically examine Basquiat’s work and world. Dieter an accompaniment, is the first to present Basquiat’s work Buchhart’s essay considers how we might look at the place to a British audience for more than 20 years. Boom for of collaboration in his practice, while Eleanor Nairne sheds Real honours the multidisciplinary nature of Basquiat’s new light on Basquiat’s relationship to performance. Follow- work and encapsulates his vital spirit. In so doing, we ing the various themes of the exhibition, Christian Campbell present something far richer and more nuanced than is looks at Basquiat’s graffiti project SAMO© through the commonly understood. anarchism of Dada, while Carlo McCormick recalls Diego Cortez’s breakthrough New York / New Wave exhibition of Basquiat was an artist who consumed culture voraciously 1981, positioning it in the context of a spate of other and channelled all that he found relevant – socially, politically critical shows that year. Francesco Martinelli interrogates and art historically – into paintings, drawings, objects as the bebop references that are so profuse within the work. well as music and performance. His own persona became a Nairne’s second essay looks at the impact of Basquiat's cipher, as he was driven to re-fashion the world around library of books, while Jordana Moore Saggese responds him, swept up in a creative maelstrom that has become his to his complex relationship to cinematic and televisual signature. And yet all of this action tends to obscure an culture. We are honoured to include an essay by the ever artist of fierce intelligence, poetic sensibility and profound erudite Glenn O’Brien, written shortly before his death depth. Basquiat’s Haitian-Puerto Rican heritage played no earlier this year. small part in determining the artist that he became; and his success in the 1980s – when to receive such acclaim as a black This project would not have been possible without the artist was largely unheard of – has crucially made it possible warm support of the family of Jean-Michel Basquiat – Nora for many others to follow in his footsteps. Fitzpatrick, Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Basquiat Heriveaux 9 191115_Basquiat_Book_Spreads.indd 9 20.11.19 14:31 – to whom we are hugely grateful for their collaborative Michael Holman and Joe La Placa. The curators would energy. Nor would it have got very far without the patience like to give additional thanks to all those who have shared and humour of David Stark and his team at Artestar – partic- their time, thoughts and insights in what has been a remark- ularly, Sara Higgins, Ted Beckstead and Alex de Ronde. able period of research over the past three years: Alexis Adler, Patti Astor, Donald Baechler, Eszter Balint, Bruno Surprisingly few Basquiat works are in public collections and Bischofberger, Victor Bockris, Kevin Bray, Brian Clarke, we feel honoured to have works loaned from such esteemed Wayne Clifford, Diego Cortez, Al Diaz, Geoff Dunlop, Henry institutions as the Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; the Flynt, Mark Francis, Fab 5 Freddy, Ellen Gallagher, John Fales Library & Special Collections, New York; the Giorno, Jennifer Goode, Brian Gormley, Anthony Haden- Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao; the Ludwig Forum für Guest, Roland Hagenberg, Dick Hebdige, Viyja Kern, Tim Internationale Kunst, Aachen; the Montreal Museum of Fine Lawrence, Arto Lindsay, Victor Littlejohn, Roxanne Lowit, Arts; the Musée d’Art Contemporain, Marseille; the Museu John Lurie, Suzanne Mallouk, Maripol, Thurston Moore, d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona; the Museum Boijmans Sandy Nairne, Jérôme de Noirmont, Annina Nosei, Brett de Van Beuningen, Rotterdam; The Museum of Modern Art, Palma, Stan Peskett, Paige Powell, Jonathan Sexton, Tony New York; New York University Archives; and the Whitney Shafrazi, Franklin Sirmans, Nick Taylor, Robert Farris Museum of American Art, New York. Thompson and Dr Irene Whitfield. Equally, this exhibition owes an immense debt of gratitude Special thanks must also go to those who have tirelessly to the community of international lenders who have com- given their advice and support to help us realise our ambi- mitted their works. We would like to express our sincerest tions: Alex Acquavella, Fiona Armour, Katharine Arnold, thanks to agnès b., The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kelly Baum, Liz Beatty, Katy Bolger, Rupert Burgess, Erin Kevin Bray, Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Alba and Francesco Byrne, Elodie Cazes, Rebecca Chaiklin, Emma Chapoulie- Clemente, Pierre Cornette de Saint Cyr, Eric Goode, Steven Danjean, Brian Clarke, Emily DeRosa, Anthony D’Offay, Hager, Yoav Harlap, Jennifer Von Holstein, The Kasper Sara Driver, Tom Eddison, Ekow Eshun, Bruce Ferguson, Collection, Lio Malca, Maripol, John McEnroe Gallery, Sophie Gliddon-Lyon, Caitlin Gongas, Beth Greenacre, Mugrabi Collection, Doriano Navarra, Enrico Navarra, Gerard Faggionato, Emily Florido, Brian Foote, Janis Luigi Bonvicini Quina, Collection Thaddaeus Ropac, Schorr Gardner Cecil, Nicola Geerk, Stuart Ginsberg, Tara Hart, Family Collection, Daniel Schorr, Jonathan Schorr, Nicholas Anna Karina Hofbauer, Anton Jarrod, Emma Kane, Ron Taylor, Larry Warsh, W&K – Wienerroither & Kohlbacher, Kosa, Melissa Lazarov, Eykyn Maclean, Louise Makowski, as well as to all those who wish to remain anonymous. Andy Massad, Alejandra Navarro, Allegra O’Cock, Lawrence O’Hana, Hiroko Onada, Midge Palley, Julia Peyton-Jones, Boom for Real has been made possible as a result of a hugely Safdie Fine Art, Flora Schausberger, Lisa Schiff, Linda valuable partnership with the Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt, Silverman, Marvin Taylor, Andrew Terner, Elisabeth Thomas, where the exhibition will be seen next, the first such Edward Tyler Nahem Fine Art, Adam Weinberg, Zoe Whitley, showing in Germany since Basquiat’s death in 1988. Both Anke Wiedmann and Christian Xatrec. the Barbican and the Schirn have a vision to show the most exciting work of the 20th and 21st centuries and to make An exhibition of this scale can only be achieved with the exhibitions that are intellectually rigorous, curatorially generosity of our funders. We must fulsomely thank the brave and accessible to the widest possible audience. sponsors of the exhibition – NET-A-PORTER, PHILLIPS, tp bennett and Momart – and the special group of supporters The exhibition in London has been designed by Carmody that comprise our Curators’ Circle: agnès b., Almine Rech Groarke, with graphic design from A Practice for Everyday Gallery, Tim Jefferies at Hamiltons Gallery, The Mayor Life – who are also responsible for the contemporary, elegant Gallery, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, the Schorr Family, Yoav design of this book. We would like to thank Lincoln Dexter Harlap, Wienerroither & Kohlbacher and those who wish at Prestel; A Practice for Everyday Life; and Andy Groarke, to remain anonymous. ACE Hotel London has been the Marcus Andrén, Ana Maria Ferreira and Han Wang at perfect partner for the exhibition. We are grateful to Carmody Groarke; it has been an immense pleasure to see Cockayne Grants for the Arts, a donor-advised fund of the the creativity with which they have brought this endeavour London Community Foundation, for making possible an to fruition.