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basquiat

+ C A M e R O N   a.   T h O M A S +

r e s p o n s e   t o   " b a s q u i a t "
f e b r u a r y   2 4 ,   2 0 0 4

» Simply put, this film was a mesmerizing look at a subject I find fascinating. While Basquiat was delightfully intriguing, it also had me captivated under a pensive spell of foreboding distress. It is no mystery that the ominous feeling was powered by the story’s obvious and eminently tragic ending. I was unable to not be empowered and even motivated by Basquiat in his decisions to sleep on the street and live a colorful yet ultimately destructive lifestyle.

» For some odd reason I enjoy the plight of the peculiar. I enjoy observing the person who realizes success yet couldn’t care any less for the accoutrements that accompany it always inspires me. It did however seem a bit cliché that Basquiat essentially “Forest Gumps” himself into the limelight of the big city art scene. With his new found fame comes free studio space, a host of people wanting his attention, female companionship, famous friends and a crop of vultures ready to feed on the artist. Basquiat does a good job telling the age-old story of popularity and its inherent pitfalls.

» However realistic or unrealistic (I don’t know), this film embodied all that I have been taught to believe about the New York City art scene. Some facts that were validated were how the art-market can dictate what is hot at the moment, that this art-world is on par with the rest of society in its corruption and that you really have to be on guard… you are fundamentally alone. His paranoia, while I hypothesize it partially the result of drug abuse, was not completely unfounded. Some of the people around Basquiat were taking advantage of him, stealing money and work from his studio.

» So often we see the artist as a tortured soul. In Basquiat this is a chicken-egg question of sorts. He was portrayed as a seemingly mellow and easygoing guy. Sure he had drug problems, but for the most part was a nice young man. Only after fame found him did his paranoia and drug use increase. Again we can only speculate on the impetus for each of these traits. The tragic aspect for me to think about is that whatever the man felt or had happen to him is forever out of reach. The drug abuse demon finally caught up to him and took his life at the age of twenty-seven. It is interesting to think of the profound professional life occurring over the span of only a few short years.

» Finally I can only laugh or cry when I think that even the all-star cast that filled the ranks of the film, were/are riding on the coattails of Basquiat.