Jean Michel Basquiat photograph, New York, 1979:
This rare Basquiat photograph was taken from Nicholas Taylor’s well-documented portfolio exploring his friendship with Jean-Michel Basquiat - a friendship which began when both collaborated on the historic New York No Wave band, “GRAY” in the late 1970s; before the two briefly lived together in the East Village. Selections from Taylor's portfolio were most notably exhibited as part of the Basquiat retrospective at London's Barbican in 2017 and have been featured in numerous noteworthy publications on Basquiat.
Archival Inkjet print.
Overall size including borders: 16 x 20 inches.
Arrives hand signed, titled & numbered from a limited edition of 20.
Excellent condition.
Obtained directly from artist. Lot 180 Gallery is an authorized dealer rep of Nick Taylor's.
Shipped flat using protective materials.
Nicholas Taylor:
Nicholas Taylor (American, b. 1953) is a renowned photographer and musician. Taylor moved to New York in 1977 to pursue a career as a photographer and it was through the vibrant New York art scene that he came to know the young artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat. It was, in fact, his intimate portfolio of photographs documenting his friendship with Basquiat that rocketed Taylor to fame. The two would collaborate in the No Wave band “Gray” before Taylor launched a successful career as a DJ famous for track-looping. His track “Suicide Mode” would later be used in the soundtrack for Julian Schnabel’s 1996 film “Basquiat."
Whilst Basquiat often provided glimpses into his conflicted character through his own art, Taylor’s photograph offers an intimate, and perhaps more honest, portrait from the outside. The clever exploration of light and dark reveals the dichotomies that divided the artist; both his fragile and playful, tender and brazen sides are unveiled. A soft glow is cast across Basquiat’s face, communicating a tenderness and affection that only a close friend could capture.
Taylor’s insightful photographs of a young Basquiat have been featured in numerous world renown publications, exhibits and documentaries surrounding Basquiat, among these:
"How Music Powered Basquiat," The New York Times, 9/22/17
Sotheby's "Untitled, 1982;" catalog, May, 2017
Artnet, 9/18/17: Debunking Basquiat’s Myths
The Mudd Club: Richard Boch, 2017
Jean-Michel Basquiat: 1981, The Studio of the Street; Diego Cortez
King for a Decade: Jean Michel Basquiat; Taka Kawachi
Recent Exhibitions featuring Taylor's work:
Basquiat: Boom For Real, The Barbican, London, 2017/2018.
New York, New Music 1980-86: Museum of the City of New York (2021).
