Art

Basquiat’s L.A. paintings debut at Gagosian for the first time this March.

Maxwell Rabb
Feb 7, 2024 6:33PM, via Gagosian

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Hollywood Africans, 1983. © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Photo © Whitney Museum of American Art. Courtesy of Gagosian.

Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Los Angeles paintings will go on view at Gagosian this spring, marking the first exhibition that solely focuses on Basquiat’s time in California. The exhibition “Made on Market Street,” curated by Fred Hoffman (who worked closely with Basquiat at the time) and Larry Gagosian, is scheduled from March 7th to June 1st, and will feature nearly 30 works made between November 1982 and May 1984.

Gagosian’s connection to Basquiat began in 1981, leading to the New York–based artist’s inaugural L.A. exhibition at the Larry Gagosian Gallery in April 1982, the first time his work was shown on the West Coast. Basquiat returned to L.A. later that year, settling into a creative space provided by Gagosian on Market Street. Here, Basquiat created a significant body of work, including Hollywood Africans and Museum Security (Hollywood Meltdown) (both 1983).

“Los Angeles has always been a great city for artists, and Jean-Michel seemed to find it a refreshing change from New York,” Gagosian said, in a statement. “While the immensity of his talent was immediately apparent, it was nonetheless a highlight of my own career to work with him, to introduce him to Los Angeles, and to witness the amazing impact that his art and legacy have made on our culture.”

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Maxwell Rabb
Maxwell Rabb is Artsy’s Staff Writer.