The Jean-Michel Basquiat show

This book is a useful addition to the spate of Basquiat exhibition catalogs that have appeared in the last two years. The essays, although brief, do address some interesting and relevant aspects of the painter's art that have yet to receive much attention. Annette Lager's essay provides detailed formal analyses of three paintings (a trend in the latest scholarship on Basquiat). Demetrio Paparoni explores the theme of death in Basquiat's work, and Glenn O'Brian looks at the relationship between art and music, especially the role of jazz, in the painter's art and life. The most striking element of this catalog is the great number of color illustrations of the artist's work and of photographs taken of Basquiat during his lifetime. Commentary by friends and others accompany these photo-essays. One suite of pictures is devoted to stills from the independent film starring Basquiat, Downtown 81. These images, many full-page, dominate the book and help to satisfy the desire to know more about an elusive yet iconic symbol of the 1980s. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels. K. N. Pinder School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Basquiat, perhaps the artist most associated with the money, excess, and destructiveness of the 1980s New York art world, has lately enjoyed a resurrection of interest; while he has never truly lacked critical attention, the last several years have seen a flurry of important exhibitions devoted to this enigmatic artist. The latest exhibition, at the Milan Triennale, includes more than 160 items (oil paintings and works on paper) spanning the artist's career. This accompanying catalog features five essays, a biography, an exhibition history, and a selected bibliography (with text in English and Italian), but it is the sheer number of works reproduced in full color-many from private collections-that sets it apart from previous catalogs. Supplemental material, e.g., a photo essay of Basquiat's friends, stills from a documentary film, television footage, and studio shots of the artist, combine to make this a standout. Recommended for all libraries collecting late 20th-century American art.-Kraig Binkowski, Yale Ctr. for British Art Lib. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.