Jean-Michel Basquiat: Art and Objecthood

Defying constructed binaries between high and low art

Art and Objecthood illuminates the role of found objects and unconventional materials in the oeuvre of world-renowned artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. His creative fervor saw no bounds, he painted and drew on everything around him—from chairs to refrigerators, but also on items he encountered on the street: discarded windows and doors, mirrors, wood boards, and subway tiles. Interweaving art and life, these three-dimensional works are not only integral to New York’s cultural landscape in the 1980s but are also symbols of Basquiat’s engagement with, and transformation of, the reality around him. This publication presents new scholarship by leading Basquiat scholars and art historians and is the first comprehensive survey to explore Basquiat’s use of found objects and unorthodox supports and their role in addressing issues of social inequality, political thresholds, and racial boundaries in the United States.

Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988, New York City) is known for his raw gestural style of painting. His distinct approach was characterized by a rich fusion of text, symbols, and imagery. He was one of the first African American artists to achieve major international acclaim, and is celebrated for his prolific, albeit short artistic career.