‘I am what I am what I am.’
Basquiat has been on my mind.
There is so little existing interview material of the brilliant, beautiful Jean-Michel Basquiat and the footage I did see, moved and frustrated me…
His silence following questions that are impossible to answer, the physical reaction to being misunderstood and also, the warmth, joy and sensitivity in his eyes when talking to a beloved friend.
From a 1985 interview with Geoff Dunlop andSandy Nairne for the UK Television series ‘State of the Art’.
Footage from a 1981 interview by Marc H. Miller for ‘ART/new york’ in Basquiat’s SOHO studio on Crosby street.
A 1986 conversation with Jean-Michel’s friend Tamra Davis, from her documentary ‘The Radiant Child’.
It’s the words we don’t hear which are the ones that seem to linger most and this reminded me of what Basqiat once said about his art:
“I cross out words so you will see them more; the fact that they are obscured makes you want to read them.”
In 1993, Sara Jane Boyers created a children’s book by pairing an empowering poem by Dr. Maya Angelou with Basquiat’s art.
The poem “Life doesn’t Frighten Me” was written “for all children who whistle in the dark and who refuse to admit that they’re frightened out of their wits” .
I have combined imagery of the book with original audio of Maya Angelou reading her own words here:
Thank you Dr. Maya Angelou, for the wisdom you left us with and oh how I wish, wish that you would have had a magic charm, Jean-Michel.
xez