Born in Brooklyn in 1960, Jean-Michel Basquiat was only 27 when he died, his meteoric and often controversial career having lasted for just eight years. Despite his early death, Basquiat's large and powerful oeuvre has ensured his continuing reputation as one of modern art's most distinctive and eloquent voices.

Borrowing from graffiti and street imagery, cartoons, mythology, and religious symbolism, Basquiat's drawings and paintings explore issues of race and identity, providing social commentary that is shrewdly observed and biting. This book examines and celebrates the achievements of one of the most original artists of the late 20th century.

Readers will enjoy spectacular reproductions of Basquiat's work, and new perspectives on his achievements, explored in the contexts of the key influences on his work. Many individual works are explored in detail, with particular reference to the artist's working methods and techniques.

This book, published in association with the Brooklyn Museum of New York, is an indispensable resource that will appeal to anyone interested in contemporary art.

Author — Edited by Marc Mayer.

Paperback. 224 pages. 9½" × 11½" (24 cm × 29 cm).