Book - Jean-Michel Basquiat. The Making of an Icon

Jean-Michel Basquiat - The Making of an Icon – The first comprehensive biography in the last quarter century, based on more than 100 interviews, shedding light on significant new details of Jean-Michel Basquiat's life and the extraordinary path of his art.

With a rise that few could have predicted, Jean-Michel Basquiat took his place alongside Picasso, Modigliani, and Munch when one of his paintings sold for over $100 million. Nearly four decades after his untimely death at the age of 27, Basquiat remains one of the most recognizable artists in the world. Not only are his works centerpiece exhibits in leading museums and private collections, but his image can also be found on t-shirts, sneakers, tattoos, and accessories from Rio to Singapore.

Details:
• Art world insider Doug Woodham draws on over 100 interviews – including family members, friends, partners, gallery owners, collectors, musicians, academics, and artists – to offer a deep analysis of Basquiat's life, work, and enduring legacy
• The book examines in detail Basquiat's rich and complex family background, his intersecting identities, and the dramatic posthumous trajectory of decline and resurrection that reshaped the art world itself
• The publication reveals the behind-the-scenes processes of how the art industry selects its icons and secures their place in history
• The book explores key aspects of the artist's life, such as childhood trauma, sexuality, cultural identity, and his struggle with addiction – themes that were long suppressed by museums and art circles due to pressure from his estate
• Woodham also tells the hitherto unknown story of how a few risky speculators, gallerists, and Basquiat's own highly capable father helped bring his work back into the spotlight nearly a decade after his death, ultimately laying the foundation for the birth of a new era in contemporary art