Jean-Michel BASQUIAT - Untitled (Louis Armstrong), 1985 - Ballpoint on paper

Jean-Michel Basquiat : (1960–1988) was an american artist, icone and pionnieer of the "underground" movement. He achieved notoriety very early, under the name of "SAMO", which was an informal group of graffiti, who wrote enigmatic epigrams in Manhattan in the end of the 70's, where different circles of influence met, such as hip-hop, post-punk, or street art. Starting from the 1980's, he exhibited his neo-expressionist and primitivist works in international galleries and museums. His encounter with Andy Warhol was critical: he took him under his wing, and made several artistic collaborations together. They remained very close to each other until the Pop Art master died. For Warhol, Basquiat was «a mirror reflecting what he had been, what he was and what he would have dreamed to be». He brutally died, aged 27 only. He left behind him 800 paintings, and 1500 drawings. His first retrospective took place at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1992.