Essay On Basquiat

Everyone is looking for some form of acceptance, while a select few go as far as wanting reverence. Luckily, there is a convenient tool for achieving either of these pursuits: art. As for fitting in, art can express political or religious interests, which would unite the artist with the cause they represent; however, if the artist wanted to stand out, an expression of the beauty of the World or the individual himself would elevate the artist to a position of individuality. But what does one do when society chooses for the artist which path to take? By looking at his youth, Basquiat’s art can be understood as a means to recollect a fragmented identity, and a pursuit of reverence; however, as will become clear, Basquiat could not escape his heritage, making him the historian - accepted as a nameless piece of the puzzle. He is an example of how society has power over the artist, whereby making the artist only a vessel in which it can fill its fantasies and ideas; however, being only a vessel, society elevates Basquiat to something greater than an individual, a part of the …show more content…
All of these aspects contribute greatly to Basquiat’s sense of art, but just as important as his mixed heritage is his unfortunate youth. His mother was committed to a mental institution while he was very young, yet Basquiat still had a close relation to her, with her introducing modern art to him through frequent visits to the MoMA; however, life at home was not pleasing, and this sparked in him a desire to find real love and real purpose (Fretz, 46-7). Having run away from home, Basquiat lived in a cardboard box in central park, and started his career as an artist with graffiti, famously quoted as saying “I wanted to make a name for myself”, hinting at a desire to be loved on a large scale (Pinn,