JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT – The influential, Neo-Expressionist artist with an unparalleled legacy.
In our first-ever collaboration, we pay tribute to Jean-Michel Basquiat’s work and the legacy he left behind. Using our iconic silhouettes to provide new canvases for his work, we explored three of his most enigmatic pieces, Beat Bop, Dustheads and Pez Dispenser.
Leaving behind an extraordinary amount of work and an unprecedented legacy, Jean-Michel Basquiat’s influence spans across art, music and multiple generations of young creatives. He exploded into the art world in the early 80s. And his impact can still be felt to this day.
Ahead of his time, generations of artists have been unknowingly influenced by the neo-expressionist creative. With an enduring legacy of raging against injustice and racist barriers that excluded him from predominantly white areas of the art scene, his art still resonates for many people today. His influence is unmatched.
“Skull imagery, cryptic symbols and enigmatic epigrams. Jean-Michel Basquiat was one of the most influential postmodern artists of the 20th Century.”
Transcending through New York’s art elite with his transition from streets and trains to art galleries, Basquiat’s genre-defying work defined an era. Speaking up on racial and socio-political issues, his sense of rebellion was fundamental to his spirit — and from Keith Haring to Andy Warhol, Basquiat’s influence spread not just throughout the industry. But to other artists too.
Spanning art, music and culture, Basquiat challenged the norm then. And continues to defy categorisation now. Basquiat’s boundary-breaking approach to art is Dr. Martens to the core.
Dr Martens
11, The Exchange
Nottingham
NG1 2DD
T: 0115 9240068
All images ©Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York
