Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) may be one of the most famous and revolutionary contemporary artists, but his short and prolific career still holds some surprises.
Here are 7 facts to know about Basquiat:
Related: Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child
1. He graffitied New York with "SAMO"
Basquiat left school before graduating, and along with fellow artist Al Diaz he began tagging buildings in Lower Manhattan under the pseudonym SAMO, an acronym for "Same Old Shit." In order to support his art, he sold sweatshirts and postcards featuring his artwork.
When Basquiat and Diaz had a falling out, Basquiat reacted by pulling the plug on SAMO. He scrawled SAMO IS DEAD on SoHo galleries and buildings downtown. His fellow contemporary street artist Keith Haring held a 'wake' for SAMO at Club 57.
Related: Keith Haring: The Artist Who's Everywhere
2. Gray's Anatomy inspired him
Basquiat was hit by a car as a child which resulted in him undergoing surgery to remove his spleen. During his time in hospital he read Gray's Anatomy. With its sinewy images, the book would have great influence on Basquiat's work.
Basquiat was fluent in French and Spanish, as well as English. He read the poetry of the French symbolists which would also influence his work later in his life.
3. He was also a musician and DJ
In 1979, Basquiat formed the band Test Pattern - later called Gray. The band performed in such nightclubs including CBGB, Hurrah and Mudd Club. Basquiat represented a mergence between Pop music and art: he appeared as a DJ in the music video for Blondie's Rapture, a role rumored to originally have been intended for Grandmaster Flash.
4. Prominent black figures were his art aubjects
Dizzy Gillespie, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Muhammad Ali were often the subjects of Basquiat's Neo-Expressionist works. Rather than trying to capture their physicality, Basquiat captured the spirits of the icons.
Related: The Basquiat Boom: His 5 Most Expensive Paintings
Basquiat once commented, "The Black person is the protagonist in most of my paintings. I realized that I didn't see many paintings with Black people in them."
5. The griot was an important motif
The griot, a West African storyteller, appears often in Basquiat's work. He is depicted in the artist's pieces with a grimace and his squinting eyes fixed on the viewer.
Related: 14 Black Artists Who Changed Art History
6. He had a dramatic relationship with Madonna
During the early 1980s, Basquiat was in a relationship with Madonna. The pair, who were both on the cusp of fame at the time, had a dramatic break-up which lead to Basquiat reportedly asking for the paintings he had given Madonna back. Madonna claimed that when she did return them, Basquiat painted over them in black.
Related: The Influence of Punk: Madonna in the 1980s
7. Rap music references him today
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Basquiat has posthumously inspired contemporary rap and hip-hop. In Jay Z and Frank Ocean's song Oceans from the 2013 Magna Carta Holy Grail album, the artist is mentioned: "I hope my black skin don't dirt this white tuxedo before the Basquiat show." ASAP Rocky's song Phoenix he also acknowledges Basquiat: "Painting vivid pictures/call me Basquiat, Picasso."
