Jean-Michel Basquiat

Jean-Michel Basquiat (Dec 22, 1960- August 12, 1988) was an American artist and the first African-American painter to become an international art star. He gained popularity first as a graffiti artist in New York City and then as a successful 1980s-era Neo- expressionist artist. Basquiat's paintings continue to influence modern-day artists and sell for high prices.  Basquiat was born in Brooklyn, New York His mother, Matilde, was Puerto Rican and his father, Gerard Basquiat is of Haitian origin and a former Haitian Minister of the Interior. Because of his parents' nationalities, Basquiat was fluent in French, Spanish, and English from an early age. He read in these languages, including Symbolist poetry, mythology, and history. At an early age, Basquiat displayed an aptitude for art and was encouraged by his mother to draw, paint and to participate in other art-related activities. In 1977, when he was 17, Basquiat and his friend Al Diaz started spray-painting graffiti art on buildings in lower Manhattan, adding the infamous signature of "SAMO" (i.e., "same old shit") see: SAMO© Graffiti entry. The graphics were pithy messages such as "Plush safe he think.. SAMO" and "SAMO as an escape clause". In December 1978, the Village Voice published an article about the writings. The SAMO project ended with the epitaph "SAMO IS DEAD" written on the walls of Soho buildings.