A cartoon drawing of Jean-Michel Basquiat walking past a blue building. His shadow on the wall looks like a skeleton

Basquiat

by Soren Glosimodt Mosdal Illustrator and Julian Voloj Author

The dazzling, provocative work of Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988) would come to define the vibrant New York art scene of the late ’70s and early ’80s. Punk, jazz, graffiti, hip-hop: his work drew heavily on the cultural trappings of lower Manhattan, to which he fled—from Brooklyn—at the age of 15. This stunning graphic novel captures the dramatic life and exhilarating times of this archetypal New York artist, covering everything from the SAMO graffiti project to his first solo show, from his relationship with Andy Warhol to the substance abuse that would cost him his life. This is the first graphic novel to cover his life, showing the inspirations, importance, and evergreen relevance of his work.