I recently went to see Jean- Michel Basquiat’ at the Barbican, this is his first large-scale show ever in UK, which clearly details enormous amounts  of   energy this artist injected into the creative art scene, most notably in the late 1970’s and 1980’s.

What’s so incredibly special about this show, is that, most of the artists major works are in private collections that are hardly accessible. So, it is highly unlikely this sort of scale will happen again. The exhibition is shedding light on this enigmatic, charismatic personality that is rare to capture.

I am reminded of his experimental painting techniques and this idiosyncratic development of words symbols that have been highly influenced his own experiences, comic books and new media. On the whole, what I’ve enjoyed the most from this exhibition is this sum of all experiences, they act like detailed ciphers on gigantic formats. This highly innovative style is the exact reason he wont just be remembered as a figure of that time, but that of following generations to come.

Untitled (1982) –

What’s so fundamentally interesting about Basquiat’s work is how he appropriates images like bones, skulls and arrows. These things can be largely associated with African Art, they’re appropriated and interestingly they’re put forward and reinvented with this his new refreshing technique. This skull can be internationally recognized as the symbolization of the merciless nature of life and death. His style reflects this complete improvisational technique, but less we forget, we’re standing before something of epic proportions, with such weighty themes that simply contrast his idiosyncratic painting philosophy.