Timeline

Date

Event

1960

Jean Michel Basquiat born December 22, in Brooklyn Hospital. His mother, Matilde, is an artistic woman born in Brooklyn to Puerto Rican parents. His father, Gerard, is a Haitian born accountant.

1967

Basquiat and his mother make a habit of visiting New York's numerous art museums. His mother encourages him to make art.

1968

Jean-Michel is hit by a car while playing in the street, resulting in a broken arm, internal injuries and removal of his spleen. During a month-long recovery his mother gives him a copy of the book Grey's Anatomy. The book greatly influences him and references to it show up in his work throughout his life.

His parents divorce. Jean and his two sisters stay with his father.

1970

Matilde is committed to a mental institution when Jean is 10 or 11, and subsequently spends time in and out of institutions. Jean Michelle returns to live with is father.

1974-1975

Gerard Basquiat takes a posting to Mira Mar, Puerto Rico, and moves with his three children. The family moves back to Brooklyn at the end of 1975.

1977

Jean-Michel Basquiat City As School high school where he meets Al Diaz and first develops his SAMO character.

1978

Basquiat drops out of high school and spends time homeless and staying with friends in Manhattan. He and Diaz gain notoriety for their graffiti collaboration as SAMO. The Village Voice interviews them.

1979

Basquiat becomes a regular on the TV Party, Gerry O'Brien influential public access show. He becomes a figure in the downtown art scene and forms the band Gray.

1980

In June Basquiat receives his first mention in the art press as part of what will become the influential “Time Square Show”.

Basquiat is picked for the lead role of a down and out painter in Gerry O'Brien New York Beat, a film showcasing New York’s downtown music scene. O'Brien also sets up sales of Basquiat's pieces and give him his initial introduction to Andy Warhol.

Basquiat moves in with Suzanne Mallouk, with whom he continues and on again off again affair for several years.

1981

In February his images in “New York / New Wave” exhibition at the alternative P.S.1 brings Basquiat to the attention of more adventuresome figures in the art world.

In September Basquiat is invited by Annina Nosei to join her SoHo gallery Soon after he begins working in the gallery basement. In November Nosei’s Public Address group exhibition includes several large figurative paintings by Basquiat.

December Artforum publishes Rene Ricard’s “The Radiant Child” article, which brings Basquiat to international attention.

1982

Basquiat has his first one man show at Annina Nosei Gallery. The show garners rave reviews. From this point on he supports himself from the sale of his paintings.

In the Fall of 1982 he is working at his new Crosby Street loft developing busier paintings that mix his familiar images and text compositions with new color schemes.

Basquiat is invited to Andy Warhol's loft "the Factory" for the first time, and they do each others portraits.

Basquiat’s November Fun Gallery exhibition in the East Village is a popular and critical success.

1982-1983

Basquiat stays in Los Angeles for the winter where he has show at Gagosian gallery and produces Beat Bop album with Rammellzee. He rekindles a relationship with now famous singer Madonna.

1983

Basquiat is included in the 1983 Biennial Exhibition at the Whitney Museum as the youngest artist ever. His paintings are singled out in the press.

In August he rents a building on Great Jones Street from Andy Warhol, where he lives and works. At this time he and Warhol start working collaborating and develop a close friendship.

September 15 th death after police arrest and beating of graffiti writer Michael Stewart. Basquiat is deeply affected in the murder and commemorates the event in the painting “Defacement.”

1984

Joins the Mary Boone Gallery in March, and has his first show there in May. The crowded show of smaller paintings gets mixed reviews, but is a commercial success.

Bruno Bishofburger becomes his European dealer.

In May his paintings are included in the Museum of Modern Art's re-opening exhibition, "International Survey of Painting and Sculpture."

In August he has his first solo museum show in Edinburgh, and two works are included in “Since the Harlem Renaissance: 50 Years of Afro-American Art” in Pennsylvania.

In the Fall Basquiat begins a love affair with Jennifer Goode, an employee of the Area nightclub The September exhibition “Collaborations: Basquiat ,Clemente, Warhol” shows 15 collaborative works at the Bruno Bischofberger gallery in Zurich.

1985

From Fall of 1984 to Summer of 1985 Basquiat spends several days a week working on collaborative works with Andy Warhol. Warhol becomes Basquiat mentor and guide to the art world as they attend parties and go out to clubs together.

February 10 th Basquiat appears on the cover of The New York Times Magazine.

Second exhibition at Mary Boone gallery in March. The varied work includes the striking Gold Riot painted on wood boards.

Henry Geldzahler arranges for Basquiat to paint a mural in newly opened Palladium nightclub.

The September Warhol-Basquiat collaborative show at Tony Shafrazi gallery is panned by critics.

Basquiat feel the pressure of being hyped by the press.

Basquiat and Warhol break off their friendship as his drug use escalates.

1986

Trip to Ivory Coast, Africa, with Jennifer Goode and Bischofberger for an exhibition (10/10/86 - 11/07/86) in Abidjan (Basquiat at Exhibition).

Final break with Mary Boone gallery on return from Africa.

Joins drug rehab program, but leaves after few weeks. End of relationship with Jennifer Goode.

1987

On February 22, Andy Warhol dies unexpectedly after undergoing a routine gallbladder operation. Basquiat is devastated and depressed. His drug use increases, and he spends more time alone in the studio.

Paints the obsessively detailed black and white Pegasus and his memorial construction “Gravestone” while mourning for Warhol.

April 29 – June 11 Exhibition at Baghoomian Gallery (his first New York show of paintings in over two years) is a success, and seen as a comeback.

June, Travels to Hawaii in an attempt to kick his drug habit on his own.

August 12th, Jean-Michel Basquiat dies from “acute mixed drug intoxication” in his Great Jones Street loft.