Art in NYC – The Jean-Michel Basquiat Exhibit in the East Village

The infamous Basquiat artwork that sold for $110.5 million at auction!

Currently, there’s a fabulous exhibition of the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat at the Brant Foundation in the East Village in New York City. The exhibit runs through May 15th, and if you happen to be in or near New York City in the next month, I highly recommend a visit. I went yesterday and would really like to return so I can spend more time examining the artwork.

I first heard of the exhibit a few months ago – it is free but the sign up generally shows that it is sold out, with a few waiting lists here and there. However, I was there yesterday, and they were allowing walk-ins, so it’s certainly worth a try to go.

The building is great – four levels, each filled with Basquiat’s art. The artist was born in 1960. Sadly, he died at the age of 27, of a heroin overdose. His art has a wonderful graffiti, streetart, hiphop feel to it. It is alternative and gritty, and yet beloved.

There are many recurring themes in his art, such as the crowns, the skeleton figures, and the masks. Here are some photos of the art on display (which I think are all spectacular, but even better in person!)

I really love this because of his signature crown, the airplane and the beautiful blue paint

a graffiti door

Basquiat painted many boxers

The signature Basquiat Crown.

A photograph of Basquiat and Warhol

The Brant Foundation is located at 421 East 6th Street, New York, NY.  The building is phenomenal – four stories of loft-like space – in what was once a century-old building originally designed as a substation for Consolidated Edison.