art: brooklyn museum will exhibit rare pieces from the late artist jean-michel basquiat

Since his untimely death at the age of 27 in 1988, Haitian-American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat has become somewhat of a cult figure – akin to Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. Demand for new Basquiat pieces continues to grow, and his works remain highly collectable; one piece selling last year at auction for $23.7 million – for an artist from such humble and troubled beginnings. Now fans of the artist will have the opportunity to see his never-before-seen work – in an exhibition titled, ‘Basquiat: The Unknown Notebooks’. From April 3rd to August 23rd, the Brooklyn Museum will exhibit eight of the artist’s personal notebooks; featuring 160 unbound notebook pages and 30 related paintings, drawings and mixed media works. Tricia Laughlin Bloom, one of the organisers, told The Art Newspaper that the exhibition will reveal a side of the artist that is normally glossed over, “So much attention is given to him as a Neo-expressionist painter, but there’s another piece, and something else was driving him, which was his social conscience, his love of language, and his desire to get a message across.” For more information on the exhibit, CLICK HERE.  

By Alexander Aplerku, AFROPUNK Contributor