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Gerard Basquiat in His Own Words

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Gerard Basquiat in His Own Words Gerard Basquiat in His Own Words As for the crown, if you look at the Whitney catalogue, You can’t go into 1981 without discussing the “New Robert Ferris Thompson made the comment that Jean- York/New Wave” show in February of that year. I remem- Michel thought he was royalty. He described it as royalty ber vividly when Jean-Michel had the show in Queens at and the streets. In my opinion, the crown meant that P.S.1 that Diego Cortez organized. Annina Nosei was at he thought he was from royaltly. Not because he solely the opening, and so was Bruno Bischofberger. I wasn’t thought of himself as being a king, but it was a symbol there, but the following morning at around six, Jean- of his family being royal. This developed later in his life Michel came home for the first time in two years. He had though. I have tons of his childhood notebooks with draw- a beautiful charcoal suit on with a great tie. The first thing ings, paintings… beautiful. Lots. No crown. Usually, jazz he said to me was, “Papa, I have made it.” A limo was musicians or peddlers in the street, people. But well done, outside with a bunch of people in it. They had been out all even from then, as a real artist. night celebrating after the opening. In many, many ways that was Jean-Michel’s start. The jazz comes up strongly, because I know he liked Miles Davis, and he adored Bird – Charlie Parker. I am told that Jean-Michel grew up in Brooklyn, and there is no question the reason he loved Charlie Parker so much was because the work of ’81 really connects with his childhood experi- Charlie Parker looked like me. There was always, always ences. A lot of the imagery, I feel, is Brooklyn born. Jean- music at home. I’ve always been a lover of jazz and classi- Michel’s room was upstairs in the back of the building that cal music. At first, Jean-Michel did not like jazz. He didn’t we lived in, so from his window he could see a fantastic understand it. He used to play his rock and Elton John skyline, and great buildings like the bank near BAM. I songs so loudly upstairs. On Sunday mornings I used to think that is the skyline he references in the early paint- play Beethoven, Chopin and Bach. Sundays were the only ings. The kids playing games on the sidewalks of Boerum time I had to listen to music, because I was busy working Hill were also a clear source of inspiration. Then of course all week. Later in Jean-Michel’s life, I spoke with him on a there was Flats Fix, the F-L-A-T-S F-I-X signs on Fourth Sunday morning and heard this loud music. I said, “Jean- Avenue in Brooklyn. It’s one of the things he remembered Michel, what is that?” He said, “Papa, it’s Bach.” “It’s, you well and extracted multiple meanings from. He always know, what you told me 15 years ago, I’m really into it used simple symbolism to explain complex situations. now.” As a child he used to draw on the coffee table, or I think the multiple As that populate Jean-Michel’s early on the floor while I played my jazz and read. For him, the work refer to Hank Aaron, the baseball player – for the ear would be listening to music and the hand would be spelling, and because there are so many baseball references making art. I have a great collection of classical music that in his work. At the time, [Hank Aaron] was a major, major Jean-Michel left behind – at least 100 albums. They’re all player and he was on the verge of breaking the Babe Ruth at home. record. He was a very fascinating player, and Jean-Michel totally understood that. I can’t think of any other Aaron, The things that Jean-Michel remembered as a child are even his friends, who he could’ve been referring to. Then absolutely fascinating. He had a thing with science. When of course there are all the boxers. I was a big fan of boxing, he was about six years old, he came from school one day and when he was a kid, there would be fights on television and he said to me, “Papa, do you know about energy?” I every Friday. We would sit together and watch. He talked thought he was talking about Con Ed. I said, “What do about Joe Lewis, Jersey Joe Wolcott, all of them – the great you mean by energy?” He said, “There’s energy all around boxers of years past. us. When I move my hand, I create energy. There’s energy everywhere, Papa.” I said, “Oh, yes.” At six years old, he 55 already knew that. Can you believe? Amazing mind. Amaz- rassed and tried to talk to Annina a little bit, but eventually ing, amazing mind. they walked out. Jean-Michel said to me, “Papa, I want to show you the space where I work.” He took me downstairs When he was about 15 or 16, I remember seeing him on to the studio. It was a nice space, actually. He could work Fourth Street by the basketball court sitting on the floor on several canvases at one time because they were all on and selling his work to tourists. They were just drawings… racks. He would work on this one, pull this one out. Anni- different types. I have a tenant who bought one from him na really had the right working space for him. I hear stories for ten bucks. You should see it now – such a beautiful that Jean-Michel was locked in like a slave. That’s not true piece. I heard that Andy used to buy from him, but I know at all. He was an artist working deftly in his studio. for sure that Geldzahlre did. Could have been in 1981 or I was very happy that Jean-Michel had a female dealer for maybe 1980 – there used to be a restaurant called the WPA a number of reasons. Firstly, Annina was a mother figure. between Wooster and West Broadway. Andy and Geldzahl- She already had a child, and at that time, Jean-Michel er were having lunch there and Jean-Michel came to the needed a woman – a mother figure in his life. Annina was window and tried to sell his stuff to them. Geldzahler the most appropriate person at the time. She was very, very bought a piece form him for like $200 – a small drawing. knowledgeable, and she really, really loved Jean-Michel. She Jean-Michel was very, very aggressive. He believed in him- cared for him a lot. Yet on the other hand, Jean-Michel was self. He thought he would become a great artist, and then very leery of her. I mean, she was a dealer, a businessper- he looked for the best to have it. He was an avid reader, so son. Here’s this young kid… twenty-one years old, in the art of course he knew who people were. Eventually, him and world full force, and he was working with a major dealer Geldzahler became good friends. You know, Jean-Michel in Soho. Nevertheless, he was very happy to be a part of loved to challenge people! He challenged Geldzahler many Annina’s program. times on his knowledge of art and everything else. But that was him. At a certain point, I went to his loft on Crosby Street for the first time. He used the space as a studio, but he was I remember in 1981 around early summer, I was at my of- working at Annina’s as well. It was the entire third floor, fice and Jean-Michel called me. He was going to Modena, and a wonderful space with windows all around. That was Italy. He wanted me to drop everything I was doing to go where I met Suzanne Mallouk for the first time. I was taken with him. I said, “Jean-Michel, it doesn’t work that way. aback. She was a very pretty girl with bright, bright red lips. I have an office to run. I mean, I can’t just go tonight.” I saw her maybe two year ago in the streets – she studied He said, “Papa, I would love for you to come with me.” I in the islands. She’s from a very well educated family – her responded, “Well, I can’t make it. Maybe some other trip.” father was at the U.N. – and she’s a doctor now. Her and You see, Jean-Michel lived in the moment, and thought Jean-Michel were very passionate about each other, but it about things as they were happening. He was very happy, was also a very vibrant – vibrant is probably not the right but a little nervous about going. It was his first exhibition word. It was a relationship where they would fight and in Italy, and it went very well from what I understand. scream at each other. I was a difficult and intense relation- After some time, Jean-Michel started working with Annina ship but very passionate. I think they stayed together maybe Nosei, and she got for him the loft at 101 Crosby Street. It two years, two and a half years. was a beautiful, beautiful space. I got a call from him in the middle of the night once, and he told me, “Papa, tomor- I had never seen Jean-Michel’s work on a canvas until An- row morning I would like for you to meet Annina Nosei.” nina’s exhibition.
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