August 2, 2022
Around 1996 I went to see Basquiat in the theater. It wasn't my idea. I didn't know who he was, but my friends wanted to go. It was my first time learning about Basquiat, and so much of the movie would have an effect on me. To be clear, this was where I first saw Julian Schnabel's work, period. His films are all excellent. I think about Willem Dafoe telling Jeffrey Wright that he's glad he didn't put himself out there, and he took his time trying to find himself. The line haunts me in that people generally eschew vulnerability and enjoy mediocrity. Basquiat took a chance trying to sell his postcard art to Warhol. And so now we know his work. I also liked the scene where Gary Oldman's character is taking care of his daughter, played by Julian Schnabel's daughter, Stella, and says how she's going to be a better artist than him. He was right in that Julian's daughter Lola Schnabel is a fantastic artist. I think skill is generational, like wealth; a parent can pass down skill to their kids and make them better than they were, if the parent were so inclined.
Yesterday I was able to visit the Basquiat exhibit by Hudson Yards. Here are all the pieces. The exhibit tried to load up on his early works from the beginning. It wasn't strictly chronological, but overall it felt like you progress with him.
The exhibit tried to recreate his childhood home. His family helped produced the exhibit, and they were very humble and grateful about the effect that Basquiat had.
I believe the following were more polished works from Basquiat.
^sorry, I wasn't trying to take these professionally.
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