Chapter 1
From SAMO to the studio
Chapter 2
Anatomy of a masterpiece
Chapter 3
The Warhol connection and fame
Chapter 4
Legacy and cultural impact
YOUR GOAL
Master of The art of Jean-Michel Basquiat
Ch 1 · From SAMO to the studio
choko This dramatic graffiti obituary ended SAMO, launching Basquiat from streets to the studio.
schopenhauer From SAMO to the Studio
From SoHo streets I took a wooden door, To paint a crown and make my spirit soar.
schopenhauer A traumatic childhood accident led to a gift that permanently changed Basquiat's artistic style.
choko Matilde hands young Basquiat the anatomy book that sparked his iconic skull drawings.
BETA
schopenhauer Play Crown & Clues, a trivia game about American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Test your art history knowledge and see if you can solve every clue.
Fun Fact
First Art Supplies: The Downtown 81 film crew bought a homeless 19-year-old Basquiat his first real canvas and studio because his character needed a painting to sell.
Glossary
samo (noun)
A famous graffiti tag spray-painted across New York City in the late 1970s by artists Jean-Michel Basquiat and Al Diaz. It was used as a clever, satirical protest against the mainstream art world and boring societal norms. Think of it as a creative teenage eye-roll against the status quo, which helped launch Basquiat from street rebel to global art superstar.
A famous graffiti tag spray-painted across New York City in the late 1970s by artists Jean-Michel Basquiat and Al Diaz. It was used as a clever, satirical protest against the mainstream art world and boring societal norms. Think of it as a creative teenage eye-roll against the status quo, which helped launch Basquiat from street rebel to global art superstar.
Quiz
What was the name of the experimental noise band that Jean-Michel Basquiat co-founded in 1979?
schopenhauer In the late 1970s, Basquiat and his friend Al Diaz gained fame by spray-painting cryptic messages signed SAMO across Manhattan.
Fun Fact
Street art: A teenage Jean-Michel Basquiat once sold hand-painted postcards to pop art icon Andy Warhol for just one dollar in a New York restaurant.
Glossary
studio (noun)
A room or place where an artist, photographer, sculptor, or other creative professional works. In 1981, gallerist Annina Nosei provided Basquiat with his first basement studio to paint on canvas.
A room or place where an artist, photographer, sculptor, or other creative professional works. In 1981, gallerist Annina Nosei provided Basquiat with his first basement studio to paint on canvas.
Quiz
What was the name of the 1981 independent film starring Jean-Michel Basquiat as a struggling young artist?
Quiz
What did the famous street art tag SAMO, used by teenager Jean-Michel Basquiat, stand for?
Quiz
Who was the high school friend with whom Jean-Michel Basquiat created the SAMO graffiti tag?