Table of contentsThesisBiographical sketchContributionSignificance of the contributionOther contributionsConclusionBibliographyThesisThroughout the 1980s, there was one artist in particular who had the gift of translation. He was able to take street art and translate it into beautiful works that could be included in galleries. This artist was Jean-Michel Basquiat. He is best known for his rough-around-the-edges graphic style. This style addressed issues such as race, culture and heritage in a provocative and loud way. His famous street art became iconic and highlighted the era of neo-expressionism while strengthening art as a whole. Paintings such as Untitled Skull were a big part of this movement during this era of art. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Biographical NoteJean Michel Basquiat was born on December 22, 1960, in Brooklyn, New York, to a Haitian father, named Gerard Basquiat, and of a Puerto Rican mother, named Matilde Andrade. He was the eldest of three children. Leanne and Jeanine were his sisters. He learned to read and write at the age of four and could do so in English, French and Spanish by age eleven. Her artistic abilities were recognized from a young age by her mother and teachers. Their recognition was accompanied by support and encouragement. When he was young, Basquiat's mother took him to the Brooklyn Museum of Art, where he was enrolled as a junior member. This experience at the art museum exposed him to different artistic works and types of paintings. Jean Michel was hit by a car when he was eight years old. This accident caused him numerous internal injuries, forcing him to stay in the hospital for an entire month. During this time, his mother bought him the book Gray's Anatomy, an English textbook on human anatomy, to keep him occupied during this time. Shortly after he recovered from the car accident, his parents separated. His mother was subject to mental intuitions. Due to his instability, his father raised him and his siblings. Basquiat dropped out of high school at the age of 17 and left home. He lived on the streets with friends and fellow artists. It gained attention in the late 1970s under the name "SAMO". He labeled Manhattan subway cars and trains with cryptic aphorisms with the help of close friends. To make ends meet, he also sold sweatshirts and postcards depicting his artwork. Basquiat's career lasted barely a decade and culminated with his untimely death at the age of 27. ContributionJean Michel Basquiat never hid his past from the public, he did not show shame or even the need to overturn negative stereotypes about African Americans. Basquiat made most of the details of his life public in his paintings. He did not feel welcome in the affluent black art communities, which explains why he did not get involved in the black political arena. To the extent that he did not involve himself in politics directly affecting African Americans, he was critical and made statements in his works condemning the mistreatment of his race and others. He repeated themes in his paintings, depicting his ideas in innovative and intellectual ways. At first glance his works appear to have a primitive style, but the symbolism used and his chaotic and jarring technique only reinforce the impact of the message he is trying to convey. His use of words, phrases, arrows, symbols and scribbles is the reason for much of thisdiscord; but perhaps he felt that his message would not be heard if he did not use it. The messages in his paintings are bold and provocative. A kind of anger and contempt towards the human condition is almost expressed in some of his works. His paintings depict a deep-rooted hostility towards the exploitation and corruption of innocents. Exploitation for capital gains through the use of religion, land grabbing from indigenous people, and excessive industrialization and commercialism at the expense of those without power. Significance of Contribution Basquiat's work is a crucial part of the Neo-Expressionist movement - an artistic movement defined by intense deliberation with subjectivity, brutal manipulation of materials, expressive brushwork. and intense color. Basquiat's technique is manifested in his brutal and raw depiction of subjects and themes, as well as his ruthless commitment to using this technique to subvert the norms of the art world. Take “Untitled” (1982), for example, the piece takes a raw but personal skull subject and renders it with heavily applied paint and frenetic, sprawling lines that create intense energy. “Untitled” (1982) also shows us one of Basquiat’s most recurring motifs; the skull. Basquiat had an intense obsession with limbs that began when his mother gave him the book Grey's Anatomy after he was hit by a car. The crown is another key motif, which he used to honor the majesty of his heroes: revolutionary black athletes, musicians and writers. He also used the crown in his self-portraits.Other ContributionsUnlike many artists who preceded him, primitivism was also present in Basquiat's work. Basquiat's primitivism led him to address issues of race and class in his reality and he never borrowed from "non-Western" culture. The history of the American civil rights movement by African Americans fascinated him so much. These ideas are addressed in his work, combining them with the fight against racism in its American context of the 70s and 80s. After realizing that black people were missing from American art history, he painted his heroes, using their figures and words. The abuse of power by authority is criticized by Basquiat, particularly police brutality. After the death of fellow artist Michael Stewart in 1983, Basquiat was devastated to learn that Stewart had been beaten to death by New York police. This led to the creation of “Defacement (The Death of Michael Stewart)”, upon his death but also to challenge the police brutality that men of color might face in practicing their art. ConclusionJean-Michel Basquiat moved from his inner-city origins to the international. art gallery circuit. Basquiat became a famous, and probably the most commercially exploited, American painter in the very famous Neo-Expressionism art movement. His work is an example of how American artists were able to once again introduce the aspect of the human being into their work after the vast achievements of minimalism and conceptualism. The works of former graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat have penetrated the global art scene with unprecedented speed. His work has attracted the attention of major art dealers such as Bruno Bischofberger, Mary Boone and Anina Nosei. His work also captivated a wide audience ranging from wanderers to high society. Today, his paintings are compared to ancient tribal drawings and kindergarten doodles. The comparisons are intended to show 22 (2016) :, 2006.