Brooklyn-born Jean-Michel Basquiat (d. 1988) began spray-painting graffiti art on New York City buildings at the age of 16. Within two years, the Village Voice had published an article about his street art and he had made the acquaintance of Andy Warhol and begun showing at the Annina Nosei Gallery in SoHo. While living in the East Village, Basquiat immersed himself in the downtown arts scene, including New Wave music and film as well as art. Speakers include gallerist Annina Nosei, one of the first people to show his work; Al Diaz and Michael Holman, artists and friends of Basquiat’s. The panel will be moderated by Eric Fretz, author of Jean-Michel Basquiat: A Biography. This distinguished group of speakers who look back at Basquiat’s life and work and discuss his continuing influence, with particular reference to his time in the Village.
