Esma Hajrić Department of printmaking Academy of Fine Arts, Sarajevo May 2016

Biography Born December 22, 1960 in Brooklyn, New York, U.S. Art education finished high school ‘City-As-School’, alternative high school for many artistic students that have been failed by conventional schooling Places he worked and lived: - with SAMO ,he was connected to New York - May 1981 he visits Europe for the first time, 1982 stays and works in Modena, Italy - Often traveled to Hana, Hawaii, the only place where he didn't need drugs - 1983 works in a studio space in Venice, California Died August 12, 1988 in Manhattan, New York, U.S.

Most influential artist of the 20th century Starts his career in the graffiti duo SAMO with Al Diaz SAMO = same old shit His mother was several times submitted to psychiatric hospitals, which left a big mark on Basquiat's life Paints postcards and does T-shirts to support himself Andy Warhol, a huge inspiration and influence Basquiat formed the noise rock band Test Pattern (later renamed Gray after the book ‘Gray's anatomy’) William Burroughs poetry inspired him Neo-Expressionism  Difficult relationship with his father marked his work In his paintings he talks to big names in art history, like Picasso or Van Gogh Addresses the problem of black people, through history and in modern society Started a collaboration with Andy Warhol, but they got bad reviews His last exhibited works were inspired by death, as if he predicted his own future He did over 1000 paintings and 1000 drawings

SAMO graffiti, New York, 1977

Self-Portrait, 1982. Acrylic, oil paintstick, and spray paint on canvas, 193 x 238.8 cm Collection of Bo Franzen

New York Beat Movie (Downotwn 81), Dir. Edo Bertoglio, 1981

Arroz con Pollo, 1981 Acrylic and oil paintstick on canvas, 172 Arroz con Pollo, 1981 Acrylic and oil paintstick on canvas, 172.7 x 213.4 cm Collection of Felipe Grimberg

Basquiat exhibition, New York, 1981

Scull, 1981. acrylic and crayon on canvas, 175 Scull, 1981. acrylic and crayon on canvas, 175.9 x 207 cm Broad Collection, Los Angeles, USA

Basquiat and Keith Haring, Mudd Club,1981 - In February second exhibition: "New York/New Wave," show at P.S. 1, that included more than twenty artists, among them Haring - Immediately after Haring organizes the "Lower Manhattan Drawing Show" at the Mudd Club for more than seventy artists (including Basquiat)

„What he incorporates into his pictures, whether found or made, is specific and selective. He has a perfect idea of what he's getting across, using everything that collates to his vision.” Radiant Child by Rene Ricard ARTFORUM Magazine, December 1981

“Beat Bop,” produced and directed by Basquiat, 1983

Dos Cabezas, 1982. Acrylic and oil paintstick on canvas with exposed wood supports and twine, 153.7 x 154.9 cm Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Worrell, Jr.

Tenor, 1985. Acrylic, oil stick and Xerox collage on canvas, 254 x 289,6 cm Private collection (courtesy Bruno Bischofberger, Zürich)

Warhol and Basquiat, New York, 1985

She Installs Confidence and Picks His Brain Like a Salad, 1987 Acrylic and oil paintstick on wood, 235 x 295 cm Galerie Yvon Lambert, Paris

Riding with Death, 1988 Acrylic and crayon on canvas, 289 Riding with Death, 1988 Acrylic and crayon on canvas, 289.5 x 249 cm Private Collection

References http://www.basquiat.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Michel_Basquiat http://izharpatkin.com/radiant_child/radiant_child.html http://fuckyeahbasquiat.tumblr.com/ Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, Dir. Tamra Davis, 2010