Recently, X Contemporary- a contemporary art show and exhibit based in Miami, Florida- announced that their partner Brooklyn’s Bishop Gallery will be showing never-before-exhibited pieces from Jean-Michel Basquiat. The exhibit will be shown at the Nobu Hotel from November 30th through December 4th.
All of the works were made by Basquiat from 1979 to 1981 and include collages, drawings and paintings. Created in the small the Manhattan apartment of friend Lonny Lichtenberg, the pieces will be curated for the fair by fellow artist and onetime collaborator, Al Diaz (famous for his collaboration with Basquiat on the SAMO graffiti tags found throughout New York in the late 70s).
Basquiat was deeply influences by Pop art, hip-hop, advertising, comics and everyday life. His work discusses a diverse amount of topics such as race, class and history. Before being sold “directly from [Lichtenberg’s] apartment” to another friend and collector, according to X Contemporary, these rare bodies of work have “only been seen by a handful of individuals.” In the next few months there will definitely be more than just a few people appreciating Basquiat’s early work. I know I jump at the chance to see this exhibit!
