Jean-Michel Basquiat is one of the names you may have seen in the news lately. However, many people aren’t even aware of who he is but interested to know about him. If you are one of them, here is everything you need to know about him.
Basquiat may be the artist of the 80s, but why is he famous now? Don’t worry; we will clear everything out for you.
Who Is Jean-Michel Basquiat?
Jean was an artist from the 80s once featured in the New York Times Magazine. His feature in the magazine was solely to vaguely highlight the life of an artist who doesn’t care how much money he made. No doubt, in the 80s, he made a lot of money, but barely anyone knew him.
However, he was frequently seen with Andy Warhol and Keith Haring at many nightclubs. Warhol was a very close friend, and they shared a very good bond. Many say that Warhol was an inspiration for Basquiat.
Basquiat started his career by selling drawings on streets for around $50 and then moved on to canvas. Many people made fun of his drawing, saying that the paint was dry but that he never gave up.
Why Is He Famous Now?
No doubt, Basquiat is an old name in the art industry, but during his life, he didn’t receive the fame that he is getting now. Basquiat had a short life, but even in such a lifespan, he made some wonderful paintings.
In the 80s, his work was not as valuable as it is now. Nevertheless, his paintings are being sold for millions of dollars at auctions. Basquiat made a painting in 1982 that was named “Untitled”. It was sold for a record-breaking value of $110.5 million.
This is what shocked the world, and this brought his name back into the news. Untitled is just one of his paintings that holds such a high value. Countless others are worth millions.
What Happened To Basquiat?
Basquiat was a remarkable artist; it isn’t easy to find an artist nowadays. He was a close friend of Warhol, and they were seen together many times.
The demise of Warhol in 1987 was the biggest shock for Basquiat. Many other friends accepted that Warhol was gone, but for Basquiat, the loss was too big to accept. His friends say Basquiat always thought that Warhol was with him after his demise.
After going through everything, Basquiat started using drugs again after being clean for a long time. Shortly after that, on 12th August 1988, a year after the death of Warhol, Basquiat was found dead in the apartment he rented from Warhol.
The reason for Basquiat’s death was the overuse of heroin. He couldn’t handle all the stress and felt alone. Warhol had a major role in his life, and sometimes it can get hard for all of us to see someone like that disappear from our life in a few seconds.