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Born
Jean-Michel was born in Brooklyn, New York to a Haitian-American father and Puerto Rican mother. He was the second of four children. -
Becomes more interested in art
His mother instilled his love for art by taking him to museums and encouraging him to pursue his passion for art. -
Graffiti takes off
Him and his friend start doing graffiti on the streets of New York City. With the help of his friend, he tags subway trains and Manhattan buildings with cryptic aphorisms. He starts going by the name SAMO. -
Drops out of High School
He drops out of high school just a year short of graduating so that he can make ends meat. To do so he sells sweatshirts and postcards with his artwork on them on the streets in New York. -
Untitled
One of his most famous pieces of work. He never gave it a name so it still remains untitled. It depicts... -
Irony of the Negro Policeman
He makes a conscious effort to show how African-Americans are controlled by the white majority in America. Basquiat found it ironic that any African-American would be a policeman, working to enforce rules that were meant to enslave themselves. He thought of their roles as pawns. -
Flexible
Flexible is a piece that shows his two most common motifs: the venerable crown and the griot. -
Profit I
Created in Italy, at the height of his fame, Profit I is one of Basquiat’s most masterful works. In this painting he mixes the precedent of historical painting with urban graffiti to create a heroic character that is part self-portrait and part voodoo shaman. -
Untitled (History of the Black People)
This piece is describing his ancestors' arrival in America. It is also showing the relationship of Egypt to Africa. -
Hollywood Africans
s one of a series of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s paintings that feature images and texts relating to stereotypes of African Americans in the entertainment industry. It was painted while Basquiat was on an extended visit to Los Angeles, California, in 1983. S -
Ten Punching Bags
This piece is a collaboration between Basquiat and Warhol. -
Dies
Jean-Michael dies on August 12th due to a drug overdose.
