When one thinks of pop artist Andy Warhol, images of Campbell soup cans or colourful silkscreens featuring Marilyn Monroe come to mind.
But what comes to mind when Jean-Michel Basquiat is mentioned? If you’re like me, the answer is: not much. This exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, however, was a game-changer.
Blending two styles
The collaboration between Basquiat (1960-1988) and Warhol (1928-1987) lasted around two years, from 1983 to 1985, with each influencing the other. A joint exhibition at Tony Shafrazi’s gallery in New York in 1985 was not as successful as hoped for, and the two artists drifted apart.
Basquiat’s background in New York’s street art is evident in the large-scale paintings and merges with Warhol’s use of recognisable logos, such as those of General Electric, Paramount or Arm & Hammer baking soda.
In many of the works, it’s difficult to say which artist contributed which element. Warhol himself stated: “I think those paintings we’re doing together are better when you can’t tell who did which parts.” Indeed, it’s fascinating to see how the two styles meld together to create a third, distinct personality, on display as you wander through the four floors of exhibition space.
Racism in America, religious imagery
Olympic Rings (1985), which features the iconic symbol of the Olympic Games, is an example of their collaboration. The circles are slightly imperfect, and the series of repeating rings actually forms a chain that stretches across the canvas. A black face in the centre of the painting juxtaposes the racism permeating American society with the summer Olympics that were held in Los Angeles in 1984. But it also brings to mind famous black Olympic athletes.
Jean Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Olympic Rings (1985). © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat Licensed by Artestar, New York;© 2023 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by ADAGP, Paris, © Fondation Louis Vuitton / Marc Domage
As you walk through the space, bananas, price tags, frogs, advertisements and skulls--depicted by Warhol and Basquiat--are some of the elements that appear on the large canvases.
But there are also dinner plates on which Basquiat has drawn references to Matisse, Disney, Man Ray, Cézanne and Warhol, amongst others (“possibly the most expensive dinner set in the world,” joked a visitor at the exhibition), a painting that reminded me of Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss, and a set of punching bags with drawings of Christ from Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper.
Gravestone (1987)
The top floor of the exhibition has several more large-scale paintings--such as Mind Energy (1985), which features Mr Peanut between Christ and John from Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, a large green hand over a brown silhouette, and phrases in blocky capitals--as well as a poignant homage by Basquiat to his friend Warhol after his death: Gravestone (1987).
The triptych, reminiscent of a church’s medieval altarpiece, is composed of three battered, mismatched doors connected by hinges. “Perishable” is drawn in capital letters--twice--on the middle panel, the comparison to short-lived food a chilling reminder of the brief duration of a human life. Warhol died in 1987 due to post-surgery complications; Basquiat died the year after following a heroin overdose. He was 27.
It’s a touching conclusion to a challenging, eye-opening exhibition that made me think about art itself, the process of creating art, and the legacy it leaves.
A view of the “Basquiat × Warhol. Painting four hands” at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, open until 28 August 2023. The painted mural features Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat posing in front of General Electric with Waiter, at the Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York, 24 September. © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat Licensed by Artestar, New York, 2023; © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by ADAGP, Paris, 2023; © Fondation Louis Vuitton / Marc Domage. Mural painted by: © Richard Drew/AP/SIPA
Other artists, personal objects also on display
The Fondation Louis Vuitton’s exhibition also includes videos, photographs and many personal effects of the artists--sketchbooks, a pair of shoes, a Christmas card from Basquiat’s mother to Warhol--which provide an additional glimpse into their lives.
Look out for street art by contemporaries, a Vespa, a jacket and a fridge covered by drawings, as well as Lenny with Kenny (2023), a massive painting by Futura 2000 and Kenny Scharf that hangs on a wall next to a stairwell. Get close to the canvas, take in the galaxy of colours, the spatters of paint that decorate the wall and the floor. Then climb up the staircase and get a different perspective from above.
Lenny with Kenny (2023), a massive painting by Futura 2000 and Kenny Scharf, on display at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. © Adagp, Paris, 2023, © Fondation Louis Vuitton / Marc Domage
Wander through the adjacent Jardin d’Acclimatation
Located in Paris’s Bois de Boulogne, the Fondation Louis Vuitton was designed by the architect Frank Gehry and opened in 2014. Seen from the adjacent Jardin d’Acclimatation, the “sheets” of the steel and glass structure appear to sail through space.
The top floor of the museum has a terrace with a small coffee cart and a view over the city, while the nearby park is a peaceful place to stroll around, either before or after you’ve visited the exhibition. Don’t miss the Korean garden, symbolising the links between Paris and Seoul.
The Basquiat × Warhol: Painting four hands exhibition is on display at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris until 28 August 2023. .