Joe Sullivan

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child

Last night I caught the documentary Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child on PBS’ Independent Lens. I highly recommend anyone interested in art and the cultural history of New York City to find it and watch it. It was a great overview of his life, and also the environment he came out of—the ’70s urban decay of NYC and the downtown art/music/fashion scene it birthed. It also highlighted the place of this new, black voice in the art world, and the resistance he met. I would also recommend Julian Schnabel’s film Basquiat for a fellow artist’s take on Jean-Michel’s life and times. It captures his spirit more than anything, and Jeffrey Wright’s acting in the lead role is spot on. Schnabel is interviewed extensively in The Radiant Child.

2 responses to “Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child”

  1. Steven Avatar
    Steven

    Isn’t it fantastic? I turned it on last night and couldn’t look away. I’d seen it about five times before, but it’s always so compelling. I love what Basquiat did for the art world. And, like so many other brilliant artists, it’s a real shame that we lost him so young.

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  2. jtsullivan Avatar
    jtsullivan

    I couldn’t even get up to use the bathroom it was so compelling. It just seems like there was, nor will be, anyone else like him.

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