Basquiat

Reflecting on the film, what image of the artist did it present and how? Are there any aspects of the "Schematic Structure" that you see playing out?

The film seemed to fulfill the stereotyped expectations that we (as a society) have come to expect when describing an artist and their life. During the film I wrote down words that corresponded to the way Basquiat was portrayed. I came out with a list that ultimately encapsulates the ideas being the typical "starving artist:" mysterious, unrecognized, degenerate, homeless, indulgent (drugs), socially awkward, aloof, independent, influenced, and hyper-sexual. All of these words come together to form Basquiat as the person and artist that we know of today. However, the film is done form the perspective of another artist, so like most biographies, was is being presented to us as the audience is not completely authentic in representing Basquiat's life because it was not done by Basquiat himself. Thus, only the most intriguing parts of his life were presented to form the "whole" story. So with reference to the "schematic structure," its easily understood that the film only touched briefly on parts of the structure. The film was mainly focused on Basquiat's Youth and Maturity with brief references to his Birth only through the "family lineage" of his mother's mental illness. Since Basquiat died prematurely, its even more reason why the film focused on his rise to greatness within his years from Youth and Maturity as referenced by the Schematic Structure. The youth part of the film showed Basquiat branding his name throughout the city by means of graffiti. He was never recognized and used an alias, so not to exploit his artistic talents or appropriate himself to the greatness of an artistic master, but rather camouflage himself within society--making his work a part of the flux and flow of everyday life. Although, it wasn't until we walked up to another aloof artistic genius (Andy Warhol) and made Andy aware of his art and his drawings that he was recognized as having some talent within the art community--establishing himself as an artist, an individual among the masses of society that he had so seemingly blended into for so long. After meeting and schmoozing all the right people Basquiat finally exhibited his own work, making a living off of his creative power. The Maturity aspect of the schematic structure was lightly touched on through the exhibitions and demand for his work. However, the drug-induced death cut the rest of the schematic structure short, unable to be fulfilled by the stereotypical premature death of the artist. But like most artists, in following the timeline of the schematic structure, don't actually achieve real fame until after death. In a sense the artist is rediscovered by another generation, and even in this film it was mentioned to Basquiat that, "your audience isn't even born yet."


Referring to the Jamison reading, do you think that the film links drug use and mental illness with artistic creativity? Describe what the film "thinks."

Discussing Basquiat's drug use in conjuncture with his artistic genius,I felt the film very clearly blurred the lines between the two so much in fact that it showed Basquiat as an artist that wouldn't have been so accomplished if he hadn't been so drug-maddened or psychologically unstable. I felt that the part in the film that exemplified this idea best was when Basquiat was in Warhol's studio and Warhol was giving him grief about getting clean but Basquiat couldn't help but live up the "starving artist" persona, drowning himself in drugs because he felt that if he were to get clean his "art would be dead." Thus, the parallel between inspiration, artistic ingenuity, and drug induced genius are blurred. I feel as though the film set up a lot of visual parallels between his artwork and his drug use; referencing the fact that Basquiat's ability to create great work came from the high he just induced. Specifically, this can be seen in the scene where he is inside Gina's apartment, slipping in and out of a dream-state-drug -induced coma where we see tires piled up and painted, then where he actually paints the tires and exhibits them at one of his shows. So, it explicitly relates Basquiat's drug use to his artistic inspirations. As far as the mental illness, the film touches on Basquiat's battle with mental problems as his mother (and her hospitalization) is sporadically shown throughout the film. By constantly referencing such the mother's mental illness its only natural to assume that the film was attempting to tie the mother's mental instability to the own psychological struggles of Basquiat. This is clearly referenced with the beginning and ending scenes of the crown and the young boy "who brought such great joy to the world but will never be known" because of Basquiat's own vices, preemptive psychological disposition and his inability to conquer the expectations of society's stereotype of the "starving artist" usually taken from world by his own hysteria.