Cover Image: Basquiat

Basquiat

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Member Reviews

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Paolo Parisi did an amazing job.
This graphic novel tells briefly the life of the artist Basquiat throughout illustrations with bright and clashing colours. And I think that what makes the difference are indeed these amazing illustrations which evokes Basquiat's art. It was all very interesting.
This is a must-read for art lovers.

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A delightful rendering of the genius of Jean-Michel Basquiat's tragically short life.

The art here is top notch, I was particularly impressed by the color palette, which was perhaps the most evocative of its subject that I have ever encountered in a graphic novel.

While the wording and text structure was banal, I didn't consider it problematic, and the author did well articulating both the beauty and tragedy of Basquiat's life.

A must read for both art lovers in the traditional sense and those who consider the graphic novel an art form.

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I’ll start by saying that I don’t know a lot about art, but I know that I love it and that I admire people who can commit their vision to a canvas (of any kind).
Rendered in bright, clashing color, this graphic novel is a brief biography of Basquiat. Very little time is spent on his childhood; we see his introduction to Gray’s Anatomy (the book), which influenced his art.
Speaking of which, we don’t actually see a lot of his art. Instead, we get a kind of glimpse into different “periods” of his work: where he was exhibiting, who was mentoring or supporting him, how his work was received. There’s not really a dive into what influenced his art during those time frames, and for a novice, it would be helpful to see how his art changed and developed over time. I don’t think that’s the author’s intent though.
The art world of the early 80s in NYC seemed chaotic and out of control, and Basquiat was right in the middle of it. Like many others in the scene, he died far too young.
As a straightforward account of Basquiat’s life, this is a successful work. It made me want to learn more.

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