Monday, May 3, 2021

Warhol and Basquiat ESSAY- ELYSHA TORRES



 


Elysha Torres 

Professor Cacoilo

ART 2421105 Self: Image


   Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat both have a very unique way of expressing themselves through their artwork. Both of their artwork catches any person's eye with the things they use in their art work such as bright colors and many different interesting layouts. Watching the documentary of these artists I know understand why their art works the way they did. Andy Warhol was born on august 16 of 1928 in a neighborhood of Oakland in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Where his parents were both Slovakian immigrants in which his dad was a construction worker and his mom was an embroiderer. Andy Warhol's family kept their culture alive. On the other hand Jean Michel Basquiat was born in Brooklyn in 1960 where his mom was also born in Brooklyn but his parents are from Puerto Rico. Jean Michel Basquiat's dad was an immigrant from Port- Au-Prince Haiti. Growing up he had the privilege to become fluent in french, spanish and english. In both this is a common thing that both Andy Warhol's and Jean Michel Basquiat since they both spent time learning about their culture and heritage as well as being the main focus of it in their lives. While growing up it has been said that both of them have been through a physical setback which brought the main focus into their art work over the years.

    While both the artists suffered from either something physical or mentally it did not stop them at any moment. Stated in an article called Biography " Andy Warhol was contracted by Chorea in which is a rare and fatal disease in the nervous system that left him bedridden for several months. In those several months Warhol had taken his very first drawing class from his mother who is a skillful artist." Drawing was soothing for Warhol and his favorite childhood pastime during the several months sick in bed. His mother also bought him a camera in which he took a-lot of photography.

    Jean Michel Basquiat suffered from a broken arm and ruptured spleen at the end causing to undergo a splenectomy , because of a car accident he was in at the age of 8. While having to go through surgery for his ruptured spleen lead him to read Gray's Anatomy reading the famous medical and artistic treatise the images that belonged to this text as to the comic book art  and cartoons Basquiat was informed by the graffiti inscribed canvases he is known for. His parents ended up getting divorced. He lived with his father alone because his mother was determined unfit to take care of him due to her having mental health issues . During the time he was growing up he was physically and emotionally abused which ended up making him run away from home and getting adopted by a friend's family. He ended up dropping out of school by the age of 17. 

    Before time Andy Warhol  became famous for his art work he was a commercial artist which was his career at the time. It did take him some time to get the career as he graduated college in 1949 and did not end up getting a job within Glamour magazine in the 1950's. He ended up getting awards for his uniquely whimsical style using his own blotted line technique and rubber stamps to create all his drawings. He ended up partnering with Tiffany and Co. , Vogue and RCA records. 

    Basquiat even though he dropped out of school he still ended up having a successful career as an artist as well as collaborating with many people including Warhol. Basquiant artwork is expressed as neo expressionism and primitivism. He usually focused on wealth versus poverty, integration versus segregation, and inner versus outer experience. He expressed himself in painting by historical information but when he first started people knew him for his art work painting graffiti in the late 1970's. 


“Andy Warhol.” Edited by The Biography.com website, Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 6 Mar. 2020, www.biography.com/artist/andy-warhol.

“Andy Warhol: Ads Portfolio.” Edited by Merritt Gallery, Merritt Gallery, 20 Sept. 2018, www.merrittgallery.com/andy-warhol-ads-portfolio/.

“Basquiat Biography, Life & Quotes.” Edited by The Art Story, The Art Story, 2021 , www.theartstory.org/artist/basquiat-jean-michel/life-and-legacy/.

 


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