An accessible and compact introduction to the artist who radically transformed the course of art at the end of the 20th century.

This book offers a concise introduction to the widely popular but often misunderstood artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Guided by the expert hand of Basquiat scholar Larry Warsh, it is one of the few books of its kind to have the direct endorsement of the artist's family and estate, a remarkable distinction amid all the hype. Jean-Michel Basquiat Handbook begins with a portrait of the young Basquiat: from his years as a precocious child in Brooklyn, through his rebellious adolescence, to his meteoric rise to fame and tragic early death. The book then examines the development of his revolutionary style through the recurring themes of his work: urban life, the human figure, music and sport, to name but a few. The final part includes a selection of sketches from Basquiat's notebooks, a chronology, and incisive essays by scholars Henry Geldzahler and Henry Louis Gates Jr.

One of the first African-American artists to achieve international prestige and wealth in the art world, Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) was acclaimed for his fusion of multicultural symbols, social commentary, and distinctive graphic style. He has been the subject of numerous exhibitions around the world and his work is part of collections such as those of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Broad Contemporary Art Museum, among many others.

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