Jean-Michel Basquiat
PHOOEY, 1982/2021
Screenprint
43 1/2 x 84 ins 110.49 x 213.36 cm
Available at VFA
Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) had a fascinating persona when he was alive and continues to fascinate almost 40 years after his death, at age 27, from a heroin overdose.
His sisters, Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux, put together an exhibit that showcased Basquiat’s artistic achievements and aspects of his life as a brother and son. Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure traveled from New York to Los Angeles, with over 300,000 visitors able to view more than 200 rarely and never-before-seen artworks, artifacts, and personal effects.
A new documentary, Jean-Michel Basquiat, debuted at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival and will be available on Netflix on December 11th.
This is not the first, or last, film to be made about Basquiat.
In 1986, Tamra Davis, was working in an art gallery in Los Angeles. She befriended Basquiat and filmed an interview with him. He died two years later, and Davis stored the footage away for twenty years. She was encouraged by friends to go back and look at what she had filmed. Davis pieced together her old footage, interviewed friends and associates and, in 2010, released the documentary The Radiant Child.
In 2018, PBS aired Basquiat: Rage to Riches as part of the American Masters series. “One of the most influential American artists of the 20th century,” went the PBS promo, “Jean-Michel Basquiat was a rock star of the early ’80s New York art scene.”
In 1980, Basquiat starred in Downtown 81, a film that focused on the underground music and art scene in New York City. He played a poor, homeless artist who kisses a bag lady. The bag lady, played by Debby Harry, turns into a princess after the kiss and hands Basquiat a bundle of money.
The film, finally released in 2000, actually mirrored Basquiat’s life at the time. He was broke, homeless and slept in the production studio during the filming. He was paid for his work and was able to buy art supplies. When the film was completed, Harry bought a painting from Basquiat for $200…the first painting he ever sold.
In 1996, artist Julian Schnabel filmed a fictional, campy version of Basquiat’s life, with a cast of amazing actors including Gary Oldman, Dennis Hopper, Parker Posey, Mary Boone, and Claire Forlani, Christopher Walken, Willem Dafoe, Courtney Love, Tatum O’Neal, and David Bowie as Andy Warhol.
There are currently two biopics of Basquiat in the works; one by Nigerian-American director Julius Onah, who wrote the screenplay and directed Captain America: Brave New World and a second by rapper Kid Cudi, who plans to write, direct and star in his movie.
Fascination with Basquiat’s art, as well as his persona, continues. Christie’s announced that a Basquiat painting, riffing on Leonardo da Vinci’s works will be up for auction at its New York Fall Sale on November 19th. Christie’s estimate of the work is $30 million.
An exhibit of Basquiat’s works are currently on view at the Perez Art Museum in Miami. Basquiat: Figure, Signs, Symbols will run through June 6, 2027.
References:
Ambra Flora and Nathan Merchadier. the two biopics on the artist?. Numero. October 22, 2026.
Steven J. Horowitz.Kid Cudi to Star as Jean-Michel Basquiat in Self-Written and Directed Film ‘Jean’. Variety. October 21, 2026.
Teresa Solomon. Basquiat’s Long-Unseen Riff on Leonardo da Vinci to Lead Christie’s 21st Century Evening Sale with $30 M. Estimate. Artnews. October 21, 2026.
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