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The legend of Jean-Michel Basquiat is as strong as ever. Synonymous with New York in the 1980s, the artist first appeared in the late 1970s under the tag SAMO, spraying caustic comments and fragmented poems on the walls of the city. He appeared as part of a thriving underground scene of visual arts and graffiti, hip hop, post-punk, and DIY filmmaking, which met in a booming art world. As a painter with a strong personal voice, Basquiat soon broke into the established milieu, exhibiting in galleries around the world.Basquiat’s expressive style was based on raw figures and integrated words and phrases. His work is inspired by a pantheon of luminaries from jazz, boxing, and basketball, with references to arcane history and the politics of street life—so when asked about his subject matter, Basquiat answered “royalty, heroism and the streets.” In 1983 he started collaborating with the most famous of art stars, Andy Warhol, and in 1985 was on the cover of The New York Times Magazine. When Basquiat died at the age of 27, he had become one of the most successful artists of his time.This book allows an unprecedented insight into Basquiat’s art, with pristine reproductions of his most seminal paintings, drawings, and notebook sketches. In large-scale format, the book offers vivid proximity to Basquiat’s intricate marks and scribbled words, further illuminated by an introduction to the artist from editor Hans Werner Holzwarth, as well as an essay on his themes and artistic development from curator and art historian Eleanor Nairne. Richly illustrated year-by-year chapter breaks follow the artist’s life and quote from his own statements and contemporary reviews to provide both personal background and historical context. Review: A visually stunning art volume. - This large format art book was an awesome addition ! Review: A very big, very beautiful book. - Everything down to the packaging was beautiful. I couldn’t even bring myself to get rid of the box it came in although I’m not sure what to do with it yet, many guy frame it now that I think of it, lol. Moving on, the collection is wonderful. The artwork is beautiful. If you are wondering whether or not to buy this or the 40th anniversary release, I have both and would say the biggest difference other than size (this is not a book to travel with, the 40 is and I do!) is that the 40th has much brighter, slightly sharper renditions of these prints while this version is much more of a visual experience. You could literally sit with someone and enjoy this book together. Other than that, the books are identical. If I had it to do again, I might just stick with the 40th but mainly due to my current, very downsized living situation. Having this, I was planning on gifting the 40th but it’s travel-able size has compelled me to hang onto both.




























| Best Sellers Rank | #576,526 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1,858 in Individual Artists (Books) #2,500 in Art History (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.9 out of 5 stars 203 Reviews |
D**C
A visually stunning art volume.
This large format art book was an awesome addition !
W**E
A very big, very beautiful book.
Everything down to the packaging was beautiful. I couldn’t even bring myself to get rid of the box it came in although I’m not sure what to do with it yet, many guy frame it now that I think of it, lol. Moving on, the collection is wonderful. The artwork is beautiful. If you are wondering whether or not to buy this or the 40th anniversary release, I have both and would say the biggest difference other than size (this is not a book to travel with, the 40 is and I do!) is that the 40th has much brighter, slightly sharper renditions of these prints while this version is much more of a visual experience. You could literally sit with someone and enjoy this book together. Other than that, the books are identical. If I had it to do again, I might just stick with the 40th but mainly due to my current, very downsized living situation. Having this, I was planning on gifting the 40th but it’s travel-able size has compelled me to hang onto both.
D**O
A truly AWESOME monograph!!
I am an artist and a collector of artist monographs. This new (12/2018) volume is a wonderful book! It is a heavy monster and was professionally packed - a huge shipping box, an inner box that held the book, a slipcase outer covering with a handle, then the book itself. It's the first time I've seen this done. The book itself is a masterpiece of Basquiat's works from 1979 until his death. It has several essays on his life, style of painting and critiques. The works are displayed in high detail - several are foldouts. The color and reproductions are terrific. The paper each page is printed on is heavy, I'd guess 65lbs. or so. That's a new for me as well. I would highly recommend this monograph to any art student, Basquiat fan or collector. How anyone can give it just a two-star review is beyond me.
K**R
Large and in charge
I was looking for a large format coffee table book to style on new shelves in our home. This book was in my cart for months and I pulled the trigger when it went on sale. I kid you not when I say it felt like this book was 40 pounds, it's much larger than I expected. BUT it's one of the favorite pieces on my shelves and everyone comments on how great it looks! When I got it I spent some time skimming through the book and it's very well put together. I've purchased a few books from the publisher TASCHEN and have loved every one!
P**B
Best Monograph yet - and affordable
I agree with the reviews above! Esp remarkable is the large Taschen format weighing in at 14 pounds -full of lush, colorful mark-making and JMB images. I have many of the previous hardcover books. Scrap the elusive, over-priced raisonne', this one takes the prize at the pre-order cost of $106 !!
C**.
Great Book filled with content and context!
I had the chance to review a few books before made this purchase and I have to say this is the best book! I was able to see the Basquiat exhibit in Paris at the Foundation of Louis Vuitton who also has a book. That book is nice but like what other people have said the quality is not that good. Plus a lot of the paintings in that book are in this one. This book also has more paintings of works that will not be scene due to them being held by private collectors. One example is the famed Devil painting. You wont see this in the Louis Vuitton book but you would see it in this book. This is a great book and I would recommend it as staple for your coffee table.
B**Y
The Best Basquiat Book Ever!
I must have around ten different books and catalogs on Basquiat's art now and this is easily the best book out of all of them. It is huge both in the dimensions and number of pages. You can't hold this and look at it, you're going to have to rest it on something. There is so much detail in Basquiat's art that the large dimensions are very useful. If you can only have one book on Basquiat this is the one to get. Even if you already have some of his books this will allow you to enjoy the artworks even more. Highly recommended!
G**Y
Best book ever
Completely satisfied.
T**D
Amazing
Absolutely fantastic book. Lovely images of art. Arrived well packaged. Really fast delivery. Amazing work.
A**W
A must have for Basquiat fans
Just pages of quality large scale reproductions of his work, with just a splattering of writing here and there. All the well known works are there. Many books on the artist tend to focus on the celebrity, and the art seems an afterthought. This book gives his art the respect and presentation it deserves. Just wish it was about half the asking price, as there will likely be many fans that won't have the money to buy this. It might be worth looking up in a local library if that's the case, as it really is a great art book to take inspiration from.
A**E
Alles über Basquiat
Tolle Qualität, sehr umfassen, DAS Standardwerk mit vielen Bildern und Texten zu Basquiat. Sehr schön verarbeitet, braucht aber einen stabilen Tisch... Das ist richtig schwer und richtig gut.
Y**N
Valeur sûre
Très beau livre et très complet sur les oeuvres de Basquiat
F**A
Gigante
Simplesmente gigante e lindo
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