Before his untimely death, even before he was taken under the wing of Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat was something of legend. He’s since become an enduring art icon. His street art sensibility, youthful energy, and handling of themes of racism, class, psychology, and popular culture keep his art relevant from year to year. However, Basquiat’s popularity is enjoying a special renewal over the course of 2013. The hugely popular Basquiat retrospective at Manhattan’s Gagosian Gallery will be followed by another at Gagosian’s Hong Kong gallery later this month. Additionally this month, Basquiat’s painting Dustheads is expected to fetch up to $35 million dollars in auction at Christie’s. In conjunction with the auction, Christie’s has released a three-part video series on Jean-Michel Basquiat. The first video features Basquiat’s early partner in graffiti, Al Diaz. The second in the series speaks with fellow contemporary artist Toxic on Basquiat’s transformation into an art-star. The third installment speaks with Macklemore, one of many contemporary rappers to express inspiration from the late artist.
