In January I went to see the Basquiat Boom for Real exhibition at the Barbican. Basquiat is a hero of mine, he has been for a while, and this exhibition was so special I'd go as far to say that it changed my whole outlook and process.
He was a genius, extraordinarily prolific with a special understanding of the world and his place in it. I love how his work references his wider well-read knowledge. There's references to art history, science, music (jazz), history, philosophy, etc. He worked quickly, surrounded by reference material and with multiple stimuli (radio on, music playing etc). When he died aged 27 he left behind over 1000 paintings and 1000 drawings.
Seeing his work in real life was a really special moment for me, the scale and the paintbrush marks up close, the vibrancy of colour. It was especially exciting to see work such as the postcards he made when he was a teenager which you can't really see on the internet.
Basquiat reminds me to stay exciting and to celebrate my inner child, and to put myself into my work. Whenever I'm feeling demotivated I watch The Radiant Child documentary, or even just the trailer, and it lights a fire.
You weren't allowed to take photos in the exhibition so I drew all the way around, maybe I wouldn't have produced these pages if photos were allowed. Made me stop and appreciate each piece for that little bit longer
the best exhibition I've ever been to. I'm grateful for Basquiat's contribution to the world and I feel blessed to have been able to see it.
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