Basquiat x Warhol: At The Foundation Of Louis Vuitton
The Foundation of Louis Vuitton in Paris will be holding an exhibition from May 4, 2023 to July 28, 2023. The exhibition will not only have numerous works on display. It will also primarily explore Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol’s friendship during the mid 1980s.
Basquiat and Warhol first met formally in Warhol’s Manhattan studio in 1982. Together from 1984 to 1986 they produced over 160 works of art.
Their friendship was one of mutual respect, and of collaboration. Sharing techniques across mediums, the two helped one another gain a new perspective on their own craft.
The Exhibition has selected works of art that create a dialogue between the two artists. This conversation tackles important issues like how to integrate the African American experience into the greater narrative of art.
Basquiat famously said about the works
“Andy would start one (painting) and put something very recognizable on it, or a product logo, and I would sort of deface it.”
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Ten Punching Bags
You can see this embodied in the masterpiece, Ten Punching Bags (Last Supper). Never exhibited before in a joint exhibition setting, for many this may be their first chance to see the work.
Across 10 punching bags, Warhol creates a portrait from Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper. To match, Basquiat adorns each with his signature crown and contextualizes them with the word judge scrawled across.
These collaborative works are gems of the art world and interesting, because of the colliding of two worlds in harmony. Warhol’s logo work and Basquiat’s graffiti sound like a match fated to happen.
One can almost feel the tempo and cadence of their relationship. Seen through their collaborative pieces, and how and what each chose to contribute. Their individual personalities shine even more tangibly, when in contention with a peer and equal.
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat Licensed by Artestar, New York © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / ADAGP, Paris 2022
Their Importance to Art
The Foundation also shares that Warhol was the elder and during the time a key personality in the art world. While Basquiat was pioneering a new language. These two undoubtedly helped define what the New York Downtown art scene was like in the mid 1980s.
The Louis Vuitton Foundation said,
“Basquiat and Warhol pursued their collaboration almost on a daily basis, with enthusiasm and complicity.”
The Louis Vuitton Foundation
This is exemplified time and time again across the 80 or so paintings displayed in this exhibition.
The exhibition will run for a month and is a ticketed event, so get yours now. For the price, you are getting an insight into one of the most powerful and culturally significant partnerships in the last century and in a premier location. Don’t miss it.