Basquiat’s “Defacement”: The Untold Story · 2019-12-16 · Installation view: Basquiat’s...

PRESS IMAGES

Basquiat’s “Defacement”: The Untold StoryJune 21–November 6, 2019Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Online Photo Service for Press Images

Images for current exhibitions may be downloaded free of charge through our website• Visit guggenheim.org/pressimages• Enter the following password: presspass• Select the desired exhibitionAll images are accompanied by full caption and copyright information.The publication of images is permitted only for press purposes and with the corresponding credit lines.Images may not be cropped, detailed, overprinted, or altered.E-mail [email protected] with any questions.

1 | Basquiat’s “Defacement”: The Untold Story

Jean-Michel BasquiatThe Death of Michael Stewart, 1983Acrylic and marker on plasterboard, framed: 86.4 x 101.6 cmCollection of Nina Clemente, New York© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New YorkPhoto: Allison Chipak © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, 2018

Jean-Michel BasquiatLa Hara, 1981Acrylic and oilstick on wood panel, 182.9 x 121.9 cmArora Collection© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York


Jean-Michel BasquiatBack of the Neck, 1983Screenprint with hand-coloring on paper, 127.6 x 259.1 cmEdition 1/24Brooklyn Museum, Charles Stewart Smith Memorial Fund© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York

Jean-Michel BasquiatUntitled (Sheriff), 1981Acrylic and oilstick on canvas, 130.8 x 188 cmCarl Hirschmann Collection© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York

David HammonsThe Man Nobody Killed, 1986Stenciled paint on commercially printed cardboard with cut-and-taped photocopy from a spiral bound periodical with works by various artistsFrom Eye magazine, no. 14, “Cobalt Myth Mechanics,” 1986Publisher: Eye Publications, New York, Printer: the artist, New YorkEach page: 27.9 x 21.6 cm, closed: 27.9 x 22.9 x 1.9 cmThe Museum of Modern Art, New York, Henry Church Fund (by exchange), 2015© The Museum of Modern Art. Licensed by SCALA/ARS New York

Jean-Michel BasquiatCharles the First, 1982Acrylic and oil stick on canvas, three panels, 198.1 x 165.1 cmEstate of Jean-Michel Basquiat© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York


Keith HaringMichael Stewart - USA for Africa, 1985Enamel and acrylic on canvas, 294.6 x 365.8 cmCollection of Monique and Ziad Ghandour © The Keith Haring Foundation

Card for benefit at Danceteria, October 3, 198319.4 x 14 cmCollection of Franck Goldberg Photo: Allison Chipak © The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation

“Remember Michael Stewart” button, 1984Design by Eric Drooker3.8 x 3.8 x 0.5 cmCollection of Patricia A. Pesce, New YorkPhoto: Allison Chipak © The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation

Installation view: Basquiat’s “Defacement”: The Untold Story, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, June 21–November 6, 2019.Photo: David Heald© Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation


Installation view: Basquiat’s “Defacement”: The Untold Story, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, June 21–November 6, 2019.Photo: David Heald © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation




https://www.guggenheim.org/films

https://www.guggenheim.org/event/event_series/art-after-dark

https://guggenheim.org/calendar

https://www.guggenheim.org/event/event_series/minds-eye

http://www.guggenheim.org/

mailto:[email protected]

Basquiat's "Defacement": The Untold StorySolomon R. Guggenheim Museum 06-21-2019 – 11-06-2019

Basquiat's "Defacement": The Untold Story

Jean-Michel Basquiat

La Hara, 1981

Acrylic and oilstick on wood panel

72 x 48 inches (182.9 x 121.9 cm)

Arora Collection


Irony of a Negro Policeman, 1981

Acrylic and oilstick on wood panel

72 x 48 inches (182.9 x 121.9 cm)

AMA Collection


Untitled (Sheriff), 1981

Acrylic and oilstick on canvas

51 1/2 x 74 inches (130.8 x 188 cm)

Carl Hirschmann Collection


Charles the First, 1982

Acrylic and oil stick on canvas, three panels

78 x 65 inches (198.1 x 165.1 cm)

Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat


CPRKR, 1982

Acrylic, oil stick, and paper collage on canvas, mounted on tied-wood

support

60 x 40 inches (152.4 x 101.6 cm)

Private Collection

8/1/2019 Page 1 of 7



Tuxedo, 1982-1983

Screenprint on canvas

Edition of 10

102 1/4 x 60 inches (259.7 x 152.4 cm)

Van de Weghe, New York


Back of the Neck, 1983

Screenprint with hand-coloring on paper

Edition 1/24

50 1/4 x 102 inches (127.6 x 259.1 cm)

frame: 56 1/4 x 106 3/4 x 2 3/8 inches (142.9 x 271.1 x 6 cm)

Brooklyn Museum, Charles Stewart Smith Memorial Fund


Self Portrait, 1983

Oil, acrylic, oilstick, graphite and pen on paper collage on wood with

metal attachments, in 2 parts

79 5/8 x 29 3/4 x 5 1/2 inches (202.2 x 75.6 x 14 cm) (Left panel)

96 3/4 x 34 x 2 inches (245.7 x 86.4 x 5.1 cm) (Right panel)

The Matthew Dike Trust


The Death of Michael Stewart, 1983

Acrylic and marker on plasterboard

25 x 30 1/2 inches (63.5 x 77.5 cm)

Collection of Nina Clemente, New York


Untitled, 1987

Acrylic and oilstick on canvas

47 x 41 inches (119.4 x 104.1 cm)

Collection of Andrew L. Terner, New York, São Paulo

George Condo

Portrait of Michael Stewart, 1983

Oil on wood panel

24 x 24 inches (61 x 61 cm)

Collection of the artist

8/1/2019 Page 2 of 7


George Condo

Automatic Still Life, 1983

Oil on wood panel

28 x 23 inches (71.1 x 58.4 cm)


George Condo

Studies for Automatic Still Lifes, 1983

Ink and graphite on paper

22 x 29 3/4 inches (55.9 x 75.6 cm)


David Hammons

The Man Nobody Killed, 1986

Stenciled paint on commercially printed cardboard with cut-and-taped

photocopy from a spiral bound periodical with works by various artists

From Eye magazine, no. 14, "Cobalt Myth Mechanics," 1986

Publisher: Eye Publications, New York

Printer: the artist, New York

Edition: 200 announced, approx. 150 printed

Edition: 200 announced, approx. 150 printed

11 x 8 1/2 inches (27.9 x 21.6 cm) (each page)

11 x 9 x 3/4 inches (27.9 x 22.9 x 1.9 cm) (closed)

The Museum of Modern Art, New York, Henry Church Fund (by

exchange), 2015

Keith Haring

Michael Stewart - USA for Africa, 1985

Enamel and acrylic on canvas

116 x 12 feet (294.6 x 365.8 cm)

Collection of Monique and Ziad Ghandour

Lyle Ashton Harris

Saint Michael Stewart, 1994

Dye diffusion transfer print (Polaroid)

24 x 20 inches (61 x 50.8 cm)


8/1/2019 Page 3 of 7


Andy Warhol

Daily News (Gimbels Anniversary Sale), ca. 1983

Synthetic polymer paint on canvas

24 x 16 inches (61 x 40.6 cm)

Collection of Allison Marvin and Emily Moyer, courtesy Gary and Jean

Cohen

Michael Stewart

Untitled, ca. 1983

Pastel on paper

17 x 14 inches (43.2 x 35.6 cm)

Collection of Patrick Fox

Michael Stewart

Untitled, n.d.

Ink and crayon on paper

14 x 17 inches (35.6 x 43.2 cm)

Collection of the Stewart Family

Michael Stewart

Untitled, n.d.

Acrylic on paper

10 x 8 inches (25.4 x 20.3 cm)


Michael Stewart

Untitled, n.d.

Acrylic on film

8 x 10 inches (20.3 x 25.4 cm)


Michael Stewart

Untitled, n.d.

Paint pen on gelatin silver print

8 x 10 inches (20.3 x 25.4 cm)


8/1/2019 Page 4 of 7


Flyer for group exhibition including Michael Stewart at Pratt Institute,

1979

11 x 8 1/2 inches (27.9 x 21.6 cm)


East Village Eye, October 1983

Newspaper

16 x 11 inches (40.6 x 27.9 cm)

Courtesy East Village Eye

East Village Eye, December/January 1986

Newspaper

16 x 11 inches (40.6 x 27.9 cm)

Courtesy East Village Eye

Keith Haring's journal, 1987

8 1/4 x 5 3/4 inches (21 x 14.6 cm) (closed)

Collection of The Keith Haring Foundation

Eric Drooker

Remember Michael Stewart, 1983

Original artwork for protest poster. Charcoal, graphite, colored pencil,

felt tip pen, and paper on paperboard

20 x 15 1/2 inches (50.8 x 39.4 cm)


Eric Drooker

The Cover-Up Continues, ca. 1983-84

Original artwork for protest poster. Ink, gouache, graphite, crayon,

colored pencil, and paper collage on paper

16 7/8 x 13 inches (42.9 x 33 cm)


8/1/2019 Page 5 of 7


"Remember Michael Stewart" button, 1984

Design by Eric Drooker

1 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 3/16 inches (3.8 x 3.8 x 0.5 cm)

Collection of Patricia A. Pesce, New York

David Wojnarowicz

Flyer for protest at Union Square, New York, September 26, 1983

Photocopy

11 inches x 8 1/2 inches (27.9 x 21.6 cm)

Collection of Luc Sante

Card for benefit at Danceteria, October 3, 1983

7 5/8 x 5 1/2 inches (19.4 x 14 cm)

Collection of Franck Goldberg

Program for benefit at Tin Pan Alley, February 22, 1984

11 inches x 8 1/2 inches (27.9 x 21.6 cm)

Collection of Franck Goldberg

Flyer for protest at Manhattan Criminal Court, July 26, 1984

11 x 8 1/2 inches (27.9 x 21.6 cm)


Card for benefit at Danceteria, July 7, 1985

7 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches (18.4 x 14 cm)

Collection of Patricia A. Pesce, New York

8/1/2019 Page 6 of 7


Flyer for benefit at Pyramid Club, July 23, 1985

8 1/2 x 5 11/16 inches (21.6 x 14.4 cm)


Flyer for Michael Stewart Memorial at Underwood Park, Brooklyn,

September 14, 1985

8 1/2 x 14 inches (21.6 x 35.6 cm)


Pamphlet, "The Michael Stewart Murder and Coverup," ca. 1985

8 1/2 x 11 inches (21.6 x 27.9 cm)


8/1/2019 Page 7 of 7

Basquiat’s “Defacement”: The Untold Story takes as its starting point the painting The Death of Michael Stewart, informally known as Defacement, created by Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988) in 1983. The work commemorates the fate of the young, black artist Michael Stewart at the hands of New York City Transit Police after allegedly tagging a wall in an East Village subway station. Originally painted on the wall of Keith Haring’s studio within a week of Stewart’s death, Basquiat’s painting was a deeply personal lamentation that has rarely been exhibited in a public context. With The Death of Michael Stewart as its centerpiece, this exhibition examines Basquiat’s exploration of black identity, his protest against police brutality, and his attempts to craft a singular aesthetic language of empowerment. Several of the works on view by Basquiat illustrate his sustained engagement with the subject of state authority in the paintings depicting police figures. Other works explore his canonization of historical black figures, especially the jazz legend Charlie Parker, who was perhaps Basquiat’s favorite hero to depict on canvas. An early self-portrait, created the same year as The Death of Michael Stewart, suggests Basquiat’s keen self-awareness as a black artist navigating a predominantly white and often hostile art world.

The exhibition is a testament to the tremendous impact Michael Stewart’s death had on the circle of downtown artists for whom Stewart was a peer. In addition to Basquiat, numerous artists responded directly to Stewart’s death with commemorative works of their own, and others participated in protests and benefits during the subsequent criminal trial of the police officers. Together, these objects poignantly document the sorrow—and defiance—of a grieving community that created a moment in art history that has not been fully articulated and explored until now.

This exhibition is organized by Chaédria LaBouvier, Guest Curator.

Funding for this exhibition is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and The Keith Haring Foundation.

Artists who knew Michael Stewart and those who only knew of his story were compelled to respond to his tragic death at the hands of the police. David Wojnarowicz designed the poster for a protest at Union Square on September 26, 1983, which is considered a direct source for the composition of Basquiat’s painting The Death of Michael Stewart. Downtown artist and illustrator Eric Drooker was also inspired to create his own response after seeing Wojnarowicz’s work all over the Lower East Side. George Condo, who was with Stewart the night of his arrest, made paintings that depict him in a surreal landscape, his portrait capped by a glass helmet connected to electrodes, reflecting the image Condo saw of Stewart in the hospital on life support. The hot dog in Automatic Still Life (1983) recalls a conversation that Condo had with Basquiat a year earlier at the L.A. hot dog stand Tail o’ the Pup. After being denied entrance into a party, the two artists went to the hot dog stand and discussed at length the racism that Basquiat dealt with on an almost daily basis and its emotional toll.

Andy Warhol, who noted in his diary the response of his friend Keith Haring to Stewart’s death, created several “headline” silkscreened paintings, one of which is on view here, incorporating a New York Daily News article from October 1983 reporting on Stewart’s death. Haring and David Hammons both created works as the trial of Stewart’s purported assailants proceeded (ultimately resulting in the acquittal of the officers involved). In his large-scale tarp Michael Stewart—USA for Africa (1985), Haring links the brutality inflicted on Stewart to the atrocities of South Africa’s apartheid regime, which Haring tirelessly rallied against. For his contribution to a 1986 limited-edition art publication, Hammons stenciled a portrait of Michael Stewart along with the text “The Man Nobody Killed” on cardboard, both elements drawn from an editorial in the East Village Eye (Dec. 1985/Jan. 1986), included here in a vitrine. The memory of Stewart continued to haunt artists such as Lyle Ashton Harris, who after seeing The Death of Michael Stewart in person created Saint Michael Stewart (1994), which evokes the spirit of Stewart to process the violence against young black bodies.

The injustice Stewart suffered affected the creative community profoundly. In addition to the rally in Union Square, protests were organized at the courthouse in downtown Manhattan and at Governor Mario Cuomo’s office in the World Trade Center. Benefits for the family’s legal defense fund were held at clubs frequented by artists including Tin Pan Alley, the Pyramid Club, and Danceteria, where both Madonna and Wojnarowicz’s band, 3 Teens Kill 4, performed.

Michael Stewart (1958 –1983)

At the time of his tragic death, Michael Stewart was an aspiring young artist new to the scene. In the summer of 1983 Stewart had secured his first studio in the former Anderson Theatre, on Second Avenue at Fourth Street, and was beginning to exhibit his artwork downtown. In addition to working at the Pyramid Club, a popular music venue in the East Village, he modeled for designer Dianne Brill and danced in Madonna’s first music video, for her song “Everybody,” in 1982. A native of Brooklyn, Stewart took photography classes at the Pratt Institute, where he also participated in a group exhibition in January–February 1979. Some of Stewart’s work, shown here, incorporates his contact sheets as the surface for his painting.

Many who knew Stewart took offense at the media’s subsequent portrayal of him as a graffiti artist, a description based on the police report of his arrest, despite there having been no documented evidence of the alleged crime. According to Keith Haring, “I found [it] very hard to believe. . . . He was an artist, but wasn’t known at all as a graffiti artist.” Brill recalled, “Michael was a really gentle, kind guy. . . . Honestly, he was the last person in the world you would ever imagine having this unfortunate legacy.”

The details of Michael Stewart’s death remain officially unsettled thirty-six years later. He was arrested for allegedly writing graffiti in the First Avenue L train station in the early morning of September 15, 1983, on his way home to Brooklyn after a night out with friends in the East Village. At around 3:30 a.m., he was brought, hog-tied and comatose, by police to Bellevue Hospital, where he died thirteen days later.

Jean-Michel Basquiat’s The Death of Michael Stewart represents the artist’s attempt to envision Stewart’s encounter with the police that night and pay tribute. Originally painted on a wall of Keith Haring’s Cable Building studio laden with tags by numerous graffiti writers, Basquiat’s composition comprises three figures: two cartoonish policemen wielding their batons over the partially defined man between them. The figure, rendered in black paint, represents both Michael Stewart and the enormity of the history of violence against black bodies; it could have been any black man in the wrong place, at the wrong time, in

America. The word “¿DEFACEMENT©?” hovers above the trio in the upper register, posing a question about defilement: Can the (alleged) desecration of property ever be an excuse for erasing a life? It is important to consider that during the 1980s, “defacement” was frequently used interchangeably as a term for graffiti. For Basquiat, who famously said about Stewart’s death, “It could have been me,” the tragedy brought to the surface his own conflicted status as a black artist in a city roiled by racial tensions and a predominantly white art world that in the early 1980s was largely unengaged with the social and economic inequities of New York City. When Haring moved studios in 1985, he cut the work from the wall, as indicated in the nearby photo mural. In the spring or summer of 1989, he placed the painting in an ornate, gilded frame inspired by the decor of the Ritz Hotel in Paris, where he often stayed. The painting hung above Haring’s bed until his death from AIDS-related complications in 1990, when it was bequeathed to his goddaughter, its current owner.

According to his mother, Michael Stewart was interested in art from an early age. She recalled how, later on, when he was an aspiring artist, he could be seen sketching while riding the subway; “He would always have a portfolio with him.” Gallery owner Patrick Fox, who leased studio space to Stewart in the Anderson Theatre, described his abstract works as “slashes of color. . . . The marks seem to have been made because he was trying to leave proof of his very existence. You can see in their determination there’s a life force behind them.”

David Wojnarowicz created this flyer for the September 26, 1983, protest of Michael Stewart’s “near-murder” in Union Square at some point during the week leading up to the event, while Stewart languished in a coma at Bellevue Hospital. The first public protest in response to the attack on Stewart, the rally was organized by legendary downtown impresario and nightclub doorman Haoui Montaug and reportedly drew hundreds of participants.

At the time of Stewart’s assault, Wojnarowicz worked part-time at the popular nightclub Danceteria, where Montaug worked the door. It is likely that Montaug asked Wojnarowicz to create the poster to advertise the Union Square protest. A number of Wojnarowicz’s friends remember him being greatly upset by Stewart’s story. One recalled seeing him pasting letters onto the original artwork, which has not yet been found. Others described Wojnarowicz personally giving them a copy.

An early effort of Wojnarowicz’s, the poster hints at the urgency in subject matter that his writing and artwork would take on in the late ’80s in response to the AIDS crisis. It recalls his early Rimbaud masks as well as the headlines of the Black Panther newspapers, which Wojnarowicz read as a teenager. The poster displays similar techniques evident in such pieces as Fire in Motion (1983) and the title card for his 1986–87 film A Fire in My Belly. The composition of the poster is also nearly identical to that of Basquiat’s The Death of Michael Stewart, all but confirming that Basquiat saw the poster when it appeared taped up all over downtown in the days preceding to the protest.

Summer at the Guggenheim Museum (NEW YORK, NY—June 11, 2019)—From June 18 through September 3, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is open until 9 pm for Summer Tuesdays, offering music and refreshments in the museum rotunda in addition to exhibitions on view in the galleries. Films, conversations, and performances enhance opportunities for visitors to engage with the museum and the Frank Lloyd Wright–designed building that celebrates 60 years as an architectural icon in 2019. Also starting in June, Summer of Know, a conversation series addressing urgent issues through the generative lens of art, returns to the Guggenheim, featuring artists, activists, and other professionals discussing topics such as LGBTQIA+ rights in a global context, environmental activism, and housing rights. Details are available at guggenheim.org/calendar. Summer exhibitions at the Guggenheim include the first artist-curated exhibition at the museum, Artistic License: Six Takes on the Guggenheim Collection, as well as The Hugo Boss Prize 2018: Simone Leigh, Loophole of Retreat, Basquiat’s “Defacement”: The Untold Story, and Implicit Tensions: Mapplethorpe Now. Guggenheim Tuesdays Summer Tuesdays Tuesdays, June 18–September 3, 5:30–9 pm Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum The Guggenheim extends its hours to 9 pm on Tuesdays this summer, offering increased access to exhibitions as well as special events and activities, many of which are free with museum admission. Refreshments and light fare will be available for purchase on the ground floor of the rotunda and in Cafe 3. The Guggenheim Store remains open until 9:30 pm on these evenings. Regular admission applies. For more information, visit guggenheim.org/calendar. Guggenheim Tuesdays: Conversations Reflections on Artistic License Select Tuesdays, June 18–December 17, 6:30 pm Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Peter B. Lewis Theater

https://www.guggenheim.org/calendar/

https://www.guggenheim.org/exhibition/artistic-license-six-takes-on-the-guggenheim-collection

https://www.guggenheim.org/exhibition/hugo-boss-prize-2018

https://www.guggenheim.org/exhibition/hugo-boss-prize-2018

https://www.guggenheim.org/exhibition/basquiats-defacement-the-untold-story

https://www.guggenheim.org/exhibition/mapplethorpe

https://www.guggenheim.org/exhibition/mapplethorpe

https://www.guggenheim.org/calendar/

In this series of conversations organized by Nancy Spector, Artistic Director and Jennifer and David Stockman Chief Curator, each of the six artist-curators of Artistic License—Cai Guo-Qiang, Paul Chan, Jenny Holzer, Julie Mehretu, Richard Prince, and Carrie Mae Weems—reflects on their interpretations of the collection and the themes that informed their selections. June 18: Cai Guo-Qiang July 30: Jenny Holzer September 24: Julie Mehretu October 8: Paul Chan November 19: Carrie Mae Weems December 17: Richard Prince This program is part of the Elaine Terner Cooper Education Fund Conversations with Contemporary Artists series. $25, $20 members, $18 students. Ticket includes same-day museum admission. Same-day admission tickets may be presented at the door for free entry to the event as space allows. Schedule subject to change. For more information and tickets, visit guggenheim.org. Guggenheim Tuesdays: Conversations Summer of Know Select Tuesdays, June 18–September 3, 7 pm The Wright Guggenheim curators and educators moderate informal discussions pairing contemporary artists with practitioners and thought leaders at the forefront of today’s most urgent social, political, environmental, and legal issues. Engaging with current affairs through the generative lens of art, participants and topics include: Ad Minoliti and Adam Eli on LGBTQIA+ rights in a global context (June 18); Yve Laris Cohen and Alexes Hazen on the health and care of bodies in transition (June 25); Hank Willis Thomas and Naureen Akhter on youth civic engagement (July 9); Allison Janae Hamilton and Elizabeth Yeampierre on environmental justice (August 6); and Anna Puigjaner and Jessica Katz on housing activism (September 3). Summer of Know is supported in part by Moleskine. $25, free for members and students. Tickets are required for all attendees and will be available exclusively on-site at the admissions desk on the day of the event starting at 5 pm. Ticket includes same-day museum admission. Same-day admission tickets may also be presented at the admissions desk for a free program ticket. Limited capacity, speakers and topics subject to change. For schedule and updates, visit guggenheim.org/calendar. Performance Tarek Atoui: Organ Within Thursday, June 27, 7 pm Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Rotunda and Peter B. Lewis Theater

https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/cai-guo-qiang

https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/paul-chan

https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/jenny-holzer

https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/julie-mehretu

https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/richard-prince

https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/carrie-mae-weems

https://www.guggenheim.org/event/event_series/conversations-with-contemporary-artists

https://www.guggenheim.org/event/event_series/conversations-with-contemporary-artists

https://www.guggenheim.org/event/event_series/artistic-license-six-takes-on-the-guggenheim-collection

https://www.guggenheim.org/calendar

As part of the Guggenheim’s Middle Eastern Circle Presents series, musicians and artists improvise on a hybrid sculptural object by Lebanese artist Tarek Atoui in the museum’s iconic rotunda. This new work builds on Atoui’s collaboration with instrument makers Léo Maurel and Vincent Martial and their research into historical church pipe organs, modular synthesizers, and the sonic experiences of the deaf, engaging the museum’s acoustics to create a unique aural environment. A moderated conversation with Atoui and his collaborators will precede the performance. Performers include Chuck Bettis, C. Lavender, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, Victoria Shen, Keith Fullerton Whitman, and C. Spencer Yeh. Supported by members of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum’s Middle Eastern Circle. Sold out, standby line will form one hour in advance of the program start time. Tickets will be sold as space allows beginning at 6:55 pm. For more information, visit guggenheim.org/calendar. Guggenheim Tuesdays: Pause Silent Nights Tuesdays, July 2, August 6, and September 3, 8–9 pm Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum On the first Tuesday evening of each month, the Guggenheim offers a uniquely contemplative atmosphere in its unforgettable space. In homage to founding director Hilla Rebay’s vision for a “temple of spirit,” visitors are invited to enjoy the building in a meditative state of mind, aided by dimmed lights and ambient music in the rotunda Free with museum admission. Visit guggenheim.org/building to learn more about Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic design and other 60th anniversary programs. Guggenheim Tuesdays: Films Basquiat’s “Defacement”: The Untold Story in Cinema Tuesdays, July 9–30, 6 pm Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New Media Theater Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Basquiat’s “Defacement”: The Untold Story, this film series provides additional context by expanding on the cultural climate of 1980s New York City, Basquiat’s life and work, and how artists responded to social injustice. Titles include:

Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat, 2017 Directed by Sara Driver, 78 min. Tuesday, July 9 This film serves as a look at the early career of graffiti artist-turned-acclaimed painter Jean-Michel Basquiat. The film includes interviews with his romantic partners and friends, as well as his street art contemporaries and icons of hip-hop culture. Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, 2010 Directed by Tamra Davis, 93 min. Tuesday, July 16 Tamra Davis presents a documentary portrait of Jean-Michel Basquiat, revealing how he dealt

https://www.guggenheim.org/event/tarek-atoui-organ-within

https://www.guggenheim.org/the-frank-lloyd-wright-building

with being a black artist in a predominantly white art world, his professional rise, his close relationship with Andy Warhol, and the confluence of acclaim, scrutiny, and fame.

Do the Right Thing, 1989 Directed by Spike Lee, 120 min. Tuesday, July 30 The hottest day of the year erupts on-screen in this vibrant look at a day in the life in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, where the character Radio Raheem evokes the death of Michael Stewart. Dedicated to those killed by police, the film features an ensemble cast that includes Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Robin Harris, Samuel L. Jackson, Bill Nunn, Rosie Perez, and John Turturro. Since its premiere over three decades ago, Spike Lee’s powerful portrayal of urban racial tensions turning violent has continued to earn popular and critical praise.

Screenings take place in the New Media Theater, Level B, and are free with same-day museum admission. Limited capacity, wristband required. Wristbands are available at the admissions desk beginning at 4 pm on the day of the screening and distributed on a first-come-first-served basis. Advance wristbands are not available. For more information, visit guggenheim.org/films. After Hours Art After Dark Friday, July 26, 9 pm–midnight; Exclusive Members’ Hour: 8–9 pm Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum An after-hours private viewing of the exhibitions Artistic License: Six Takes on the Guggenheim Collection, Implicit Tensions: Mapplethorpe Now, The Hugo Boss Prize 2018: Simone Leigh, Loophole of Retreat, and Basquiat’s “Defacement”: The Untold Story, featuring a cash bar and DJ in the rotunda. Supported in part by Showtime. $25, members free. Purchase tickets online in advance or become a member. Cash bar offers wine and beer. Guests will be asked for a photo ID. Limited general admission tickets will go on sale closer to the event date. Tickets are not sold at the door. For more information, visit guggenheim.org/artafterdark. Guggenheim Tuesdays: Talks Kobena Mercer: “Blackness, Flesh, and Vision” Tuesday, September 17, 6:30 pm Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum This lecture considers the Guggenheim’s simultaneous presentations of works by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Robert Mapplethorpe as an opportunity to examine cross-cutting entanglements of race, masculinity, and the gaze. Drawing on the distinction that black feminist theorist Hortense Spillers makes between “flesh” and “the body,” a range of contemporary and historical examples are examined to reveal how intersections of blackness, flesh, and vision circulate at the most intimate level of our erotic lives even as they also erupt in the violence that results in endless cycles of racialized death. With

https://www.guggenheim.org/films

https://www.guggenheim.org/event/event_series/art-after-dark

the focal shift in Black Atlantic visual arts from representation to performance, what fresh insights arise with regard to critical perspectives on the black body? The Hilla Rebay Lectures bring distinguished scholars to the Guggenheim Museum to examine significant issues in the theory, criticism, and history of art. This annual program is made possible through the generosity of the Hilla von Rebay Foundation. Free, sign up for updates. To sign up and for more information, visit guggenheim.org/calendar. Tours Art in the Round Daily, 2 pm Art in the Round Architecture Focus: Inside the Guggenheim Spiral Fridays, 2 pm Art in the Round public tours are guided, participatory explorations of the Guggenheim’s collection, exhibitions, and architecture. Gallery educators facilitate varied experiences aimed at deepening visitors’ understanding of and engagement with artwork. While all tours encourage close looking and conversation among participants, each educator uses creative approaches to build unique, sometimes surprising encounters in the museum. Visitors of all ages and abilities are encouraged and welcome to join. As part of the building’s 60th anniversary celebration, Friday tours focus on the Guggenheim’s iconic architecture. Free with museum admission, no RSVP is required. Meet on the rotunda floor. For more information, visit guggenheim.org/calendar. Tours Curator’s Eye Wednesdays, June 12, July 31, and September 18, 12 pm Explore current exhibitions on a focused tour led by a Guggenheim curator with expert knowledge of the work on view. June 12: Implicit Tensions: Mapplethorpe Now with Levi Prombaum, Curatorial Assistant of Collections July 31: The Hugo Boss Prize 2018: Simone Leigh, Loophole of Retreat with Amara Antilla, Assistant Curator September 18: The Hugo Boss Prize 2018: Simone Leigh, Loophole of Retreat with Susan Thompson, Associate Curator Free with museum admission. Limited capacity, advance registration is required. Tours interpreted in American Sign Language (ASL) upon request. For more information, visit guggenheim.org/calendar. Tours Mind’s Eye Wednesday, July 24, 2–4 pm: Artistic License Monday, Sept 16, 6:30-8:30 pm: Basquiat’s “Defacement”

https://guggenheim.org/calendar

https://www.guggenheim.org/the-frank-lloyd-wright-building#tours

https://www.guggenheim.org/event/art-in-the-round-public-tours

https://www.guggenheim.org/event/event_series/curators-and-conservator-eye-tours

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Monthly Mind’s Eye tours and workshops for visitors who are blind or have low vision are conducted by arts, education, and access professionals through verbal description, conversation, sensory experiences, and creative practice. Mind's Eye is made possible by Ornellaia. Additional support is provided by Peter Bentley Brandt. Free with RSVP required one week before the program date. For more information, visit guggenheim.org/mindseye FUNDERS The Sackler Center for Arts Education is a gift of the Mortimer D. Sackler Family. Endowment funding is provided by The Engelberg Foundation, the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, The Elaine Terner Cooper Foundation, the Esther Simon Charitable Trust, and the Goldring Education Endowment Fund. Educational activities and/or public programs are made possible in part by Ornellaia; The Freeman Foundation; JW Marriott; Stavros Niarchos Foundation; Katherine and Peter Kend, Annie and Gaines Wehrle, and Michael Wehrle in honor of Ebersole Gaines and Peter Lawson-Johnston; The Pinkerton Foundation; The Hilla von Rebay Foundation; The Kate Cassidy Foundation; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Funding is also provided by Guggenheim Partners, LLC; The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation; The Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation; Gail May Engelberg and The Engelberg Foundation; The Keith Haring Foundation; Jacadi Paris; The Barker Welfare Foundation; Credit Suisse; CBRE; Cindy Chua-Tay; Dorothy and Elihu Modlin; and an anonymous donor. Additional support from the Sidney E. Frank Foundation; Peter Bentley Brandt; Con Edison; JPMorgan Chase; Peggy Jacobs Bader and John Bader; Margarita and Ari Benacerraf; Bobbi and Barry Coller; Lisa and Jeffrey Thorp; the Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Inc.; Maria and Valentin Fuster; The Kibel Foundation; and the Henry E. Niles Foundation, Inc. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation thanks the members of the Education Committee and the Middle Eastern Circle for their support. VISITOR INFORMATION Admission: Adults $25, students/seniors (65+) $18, members and children under 12 free. Use the Digital Guide in the museum or visit guggenheim.org/guide to hear audio about Frank Lloyd Wright’s landmark building and the Guggenheim’s collection and exhibitions.

https://www.guggenheim.org/event/event_series/minds-eye

https://www.guggenheim.org/guide

Museum Hours: Open daily from 10 am–5:30 pm, Tuesdays and Saturdays extended hours until 8 pm. From June 18 to September 3, open Tuesdays until 9 pm. On Saturdays, beginning at 5 pm, the museum hosts Pay What You Wish. For general information, call 212 423 3500 or visit guggenheim.org. guggenheim.org/social #Guggenheim60 #ArtisticLicense #Mapplethorpe #BasquiatDefacement #SimoneLeigh #ArtAfterDark For publicity images, visit guggenheim.org/pressimages. Password: presspass #1562 June 11, 2019 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT: May Yeung, Publicist Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum 212 423 3840 [email protected]

https://www.guggenheim.org/press-images/artistic-license-six-takes-on-the-guggenheim-collection

http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/online/social

Basquiat’s “Defacement”: The Untold Story · 2019-12-16 · Installation view: Basquiat’s...

Documents

Transcript of Basquiat’s “Defacement”: The Untold Story · 2019-12-16 · Installation view: Basquiat’s...