Photo by Marion Busch
BASQUIAT: RAGE TO RICHES
Director:
David Shulman
Premiere:
BBC broadcast (October 2017)
About:
An exploration of the life and art of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Basquiat emerged in late 1970s New York, anonymously using the graffiti tag SAMO© together with collaborator Al Diaz. Eventually, he revealed himself, alienating Diaz and launching himself fully into the vibrant arts and cultural scene with his expressive, singular paintings. Using evocative period footage and interviews with Basquiat’s sisters, friends, and lovers, as well as fellow artists and gallerists, Shulman’s thoughtful film traces the artist’s rise to fame, while also exploring formative influences, and the subtle and overt racism that threatened to limit his potential, and, ultimately, contributed to the self-destructive behavior that cost him his life at the age of only 27.
what (not) to doc 