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A trove of photos from the early career of Jean-Michel Basquiat is set to be exhibited during Miami Art Week.
Alexis Adler’s original 1979 photos of the legendary New York painter are set to be shown publicly for the first time since their acquisition by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The archive, titled “The 12th Street Experiment,” will be staged at The Moore in the Design District from December 4 through 8 as part of the exhibition “Emerging and Beyond.” The show is produced by The Bishop Gallery, a commercial gallery based in Basquiat’s hometown of Brooklyn, New York.
“This collection represents some of the earliest and most revealing documentation of his creative practice to reach the public,” says Stevenson Dunn, Jr., co-founder of The Bishop Gallery. “It offers a rare look at a young artist developing his voice at 12th Street — testing forms, shaping concepts, and building the foundation of a visual language that continues to inspire and echo through the work of many of the artists in this exhibition.”
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Adler, a biologist and graduate of Barnard College, shot the photos from 1979 to 1980 while she and Basquiat were in a relationship and lived together in the East Village. The period proved to be a crucial time for the artist immediately prior to his explosive rise to fame within the art world. During this time, he became a fixture of the downtown scene, befriending the likes of Keith Haring and Glenn O’Brien and playing in the band Gray with Vincent Gallo, among others. He even used some of Adler’s science books in his artwork.
He also began his transition from street art to the gallery world. It was in Adler’s apartment that he made some of his earliest proper artworks and fielded visits from gallerists like Diego Cortez. He also fell out with Al Diaz, his partner in the graffiti duo SAMO, and famously sold Andy Warhol a postcard he had painted while the latter was dining at an upscale restaurant.
Basquiat’s fame and influence as an artist have long outlived the man himself, who died in 1988 at the tragic age of 27. His neo-expressionist style and tendency towards cultural references, adapted from the then-nascent hip-hop movement, have influenced countless artists, and his works regularly sell for millions of dollars at auction. He’s a fixture at art fairs such as Art Basel Miami Beach, and of Miami’s museums; PAMM staged an exhibition of his notebooks in 2016, while the Rubell Museum regularly exhibits its Basquiats, including the famous painting “Bird on Money.”
Along with the photos, “Emerging and Beyond” features artworks from 18 contemporary artists, including David Driskell and Romare Bearden. The exhibition will launch with a VIP opening on Wednesday, December 3, and remain on view for the public through Monday, December 8.
“Emerging and Beyond.” Thursday, December 4 through Monday, December 8 at The Moore, 4040 NE Second Ave., Miami; 305-209-2100; mooremiami.com.
