Jean-Michel Basquiat King Pleasure Exhibit Opens in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA—A new exhibition Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure is currently on display at The Grand LA, featuring over 200 never before and/or rarely seen Basquiat paintings, drawing, and artifacts. Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure is organized and curated by Jean-Michel’s family from an intimate perspective, intertwining his artistic endeavors with his personal life, influences, and the times in which he lived.
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s contributions to the history of art and his explorations of multifaceted cultural phenomena––including music, the Black experience, pop culture, Black American sports figures, literature, and other sources––will be showcased through immersive environments providing unique insight into the late artist’s creative life and his singular voice that propelled a social and cultural narrative that continues to this day.
Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure
Jean-Michel was one of the most important painters of the 20th century. He was born in 1960 in Brooklyn, New York, and his early life was marked by poverty and instability. Despite this, he went on to become a leading figure in the post-punk art scene of the 1980s. His work was characterized by its expressive use of color and its striking imagery, which often addressed issues of race and class.
His work was largely influenced by the street art scene of New York City. He often used found objects in his paintings, such as bits of cardboard or newspaper, which he would incorporate into his canvases. This gave his work a raw, experimental quality that made it unique. Basquiat died of a drug overdose in 1988, at the age of 27, leaving behind a collection of over 600 paintings and 1,5000 drawings. Jean-Michel‘S unique style, which combined elements of graffiti, street art, and traditional painting, made him an instant sensation in the art world. Basquiat’s work addressed issues of race, class, and power, and his rise to fame was swift and controversial.
In March, Los Angeles Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson presented the Basquiat family with a proclamation from welcoming the King Pleasure exhibition to Los Angeles.
Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson and the Destination Crenshaw team are thrilled to welcome the Basquiat family and King Pleasure to Los Angeles. This exhibition represents an ongoing effort to elevate and amplify Black artists and their cultural heritage. Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, through the work of Destination Crenshaw, is committed to uplifting the diverse range of artistic expression. The Councilmember would like to encourage everyone to see King Pleasure, a must-see for anyone interested in the rich history of the Black community.
The office of Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson
