Art Masters: Basquiat

Description

The dazzling, provocative work of Jean-Michel Basquiat would come to define the vibrant New York art scene of the late '70s and early '80s. Punk, jazz, graffiti, hip-hop: his work drew heavily on the cultural trappings of Lower Manhattan, to which he fled (from Brooklyn) at the age of 15. Writer Julian Voloj and illustrator Soren Glosimodt Mosda capture the dramatic life and exhilarating times of this archetypal New York artist, covering everything from the SAMO project to his first solo show, from his early meetings with Andy Warhol to the development of the addiction that would eventually cost him his life. Before he died, aged 27, Basquiat was among the world's most successful artists. Today, his influence can be seen not only in fine art but in fashion, design and music. Now, for the first time, his remarkable story is told in graphic novel form - and his work is shown to be more important, his themes more urgent, than ever before.

Soren Glosimodt Mosdal is a Danish comics artist and newspaper illustrator. He is the author of numerous comic books, including Feuerwerk and Eric Le rouge - roi de l'hiver. He is a member of the Finnish Kuti Kuti comics association. Born in Nairobi, he now lives in Copenhagen. Julian Voloj was born in Germany to Colombian parents. He's the author of a number of graphic novels, including the critically acclaimed Ghetto Brother, which told the story of a historic gang truce that paved the way for hip-hop, and the upcoming Truth, Justice, and the American Dream: The Men Behind Superman. He lives with his wife and two sons in New York City.

"...crackling energy and a breakneck pace to match the tumultuous life and career of their subject, whose synthesis of punk, pop, hip-hop, and street cultures continues to be influential more than 20 years after his death."-- "Library Journal"