Basquiat

For your next post, first reflect 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?
I personally enjoyed the film Basquiat, and thought that it explored an intimately personal side of the artist that would have been difficult to convey in a written biography. The film explored more of Basquiat’s personal life and his reactions to fame rather than simply showing his artwork and the creative process behind it. Because the film’s director, Julian Schnabel, was a personal friend of the artist, his portrayal of Basquiat revealed the intricacies of his personality and stirred the audience’s sympathies. Although Jean-Michel reaches stardom during his life, the film strives to show how unpretentious he is, as well as illustrate the great strain that this fame caused him.
It is interesting to see how the film follows the Schematic Structure of the Artist’s Biography. Although Basquiat’s birth is not shown, the opening sequence of the film, where a young Jean-Michel is shown with a crown on his head, can be considered a “portent” of his future fame. Early on, his artistic merits are shown through the graffiti he is constantly drawing, as well as the works in the apartment he shares with his girlfriend. He also shows his works to Andy Warhol, and is subsequently “discovered” and given recognition in the form of a show. His “maturity” begins when he is given his own studio, and his works become highly in demand. However it is here that the film deviates from the schematic structure, because it ends abruptly with Basquait’s death at 27, rather than discussing his old age and the fate of his body and works.

Next, referring to the Jamison reading, do you think that the film links drug use and mental illness with artistic creativity? Don't say what you think, describe what the film "thinks." Refer to the suggestions for film viewing and analysis in Chapter 2 of "Writing about Film."
In my opinion, the film definitely correlates drug use and creativity. In Basquiat’s case, most of his fits of creativity occur after or during bouts of drug use. The hallucination he has of the pillar of towers is one particularly strong example of this; it shows him drawing his inspiration directly from the influence of drugs. Similarly, he is inspired to paint his girlfriend’s pink dress while using. In other cases his inspirations are not directly linked to drugs, but drugs are present in most of the scenes where he is in the process of creation. His rise to success must also be attributed to drug use, after all he met his first agent and promoter while buying drugs in an apartment. Unfortunately, the drugs that he uses as instruments of creativity ultimately prove to be his downfall. Mental illness is also present in his life, and while not directly linked to artistic creativity, it was highlighted in the film several times, when Jean-Michel visits his mother in the asylum. Therefore we can assume that this fact weighed heavily on Basquiat, and may have had some influence on his work.