basquiat and warhol's friendship unfolds in latest fondation louis vuitton exhibition

Basquiat x Warhol at Fondation Louis Vuitton

Between 1984 and 1985, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol jointly created around 160 paintings ‘à quatre mains,’ including some of the greatest works of their respective careers. Keith Haring, who witnessed their friendship and collaboration, later spoke of a ‘conversation occurring through painting instead of words,’ and of two minds merging into a ‘third, distinctive and unique mind.’

To celebrate the strong friendship and creative spirit of the two iconic artists, Fondation Louis Vuitton presents ‘Basquiat x Warhol. Painting Four Hands.’ The exhibition, on view April 5-28, 2023, features more than 80 collaborative paintings and individual artworks, as well as works by other creative legends of 1980s New York.

Jean-Michel Basquiat et Andy Warhol, Untitled (collaboration no.23) / Quality, 1984-1985 © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat Licensed by Artestar, New York © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / ADAGP, Paris 2022

evoking the energy of the 1980s New York downtown art scene

‘Basquiat x Warhol. Painting Four Hands’, curated by Dieter Buchhart and Anna Karina Hofbauer in collaboration with Olivier Michelon, curator of the Fondation Louis Vuitton (find more here), features more than 300 works and documents, including 80 canvases jointly signed by the two artists. Individual works by the two artists are also displayed alongside multiple pieces by other major artists, such as Keith Haring, Jenny Holzer, Kenny Scharf, Michael Halsband, to convey the energy of the 1980s New York downtown art scene. The exhibition is enriched by photographs, including the famous photo series ‘Boxing Gloves’ by Michael Halsband, produced for the poster of the exhibition of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol in 1985.

Jean-Michel Basquiat et Andy Warhol, 6,99, 1984 © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat Licensed by Artestar, New York © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / ADAGP, Paris 2022

a dialogue between jean-michel basquiat and andy warhol

The exhibition will open with a series of portraits of Basquiat by Warhol and of Warhol by Basquiat, and continues with their early collaborations. These works, initiated by the dealer of the two artists, Bruno Bischofberger, benefited from a collaboration with the Italian artist Francesco Clemente (b. 1952). After completing these fifteen paintings together with Clemente, Basquiat and Warhol continued their collaboration almost daily with enthusiasm and complicity. The energy of their ceaseless exchanges will be the driving force of the exhibition, reflected in works such as Ten Punching Bags (Last Supper) and the 10-meter-long canvas African Mask.

Basquiat admired Warhol as an elder, a key figure in the art world, and a pioneer of a new language and a groundbreaking relationship with pop culture. Warhol, in turn, found in Basquiat a new interest in painting. Thanks to Basquiat, he returned to painting manually on a large scale.

‘Andy would start one (painting) and put something very recognizable on it, or a product logo, and I would sort of deface it. Then I would try to get him to work some more on it, I would try to get him to do at least two things,’
explained Basquiat. ‘I drew it first and then I painted it like Jean-Michel. I think those paintings we’re doing to gether are better when you can’t tell who did which parts, ‘ noted Warhol. The exhibition will show these back and forths – a dialogue of styles and forms that also tackles crucial subjects such as the integration of the African-American community into the narrative of North America – a continent in which Warhol was a leading manufacturer of icons.

Jean-Michel Basquiat et Andy Warhol, Untitled (collaboration no.23) / Quality, 1984-1985 © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / ADAGP, Paris 2022

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Dos Cabezas, 1982, Acrylic and oilstick on canvas with wood supports, courtesy Gagosian

Michael Halsband, Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat #143 New York City, July 10, 1985, courtesy of the artist © Michael Halsband

Jean-Michel Basquiat et Andy Warhol, Taxi, 45th/Broadway, 1984-1985, Acrylic, oilstick, synthetic polymer paint, and silkscreen ink on canvas, © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat Licensed by Artestar, New York © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / ADAGP, Paris 2022

Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol Ten Punching Bags (Last Supper), 1985-1986, Acrylic and oilstick on punching bags © Fondation Louis Vuitton / Marc Domage