The chaotic brilliance of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat - Jordana Moore Saggese

Prevodilac: Ivana Krivokuca Lektor: Tijana Mihajlović

A sky blue canvas ripped open by an enormous skull.

Nebesko plavo platno rasporeno ogromnom lobanjom.

Teeth bared through visceral slashes of oil and spray-paint.

Zubi ogoljeni kroz visceralne nanose ulja i boje u spreju.

In 2017,

Godine 2017,

this untitled artwork was auctioned off for over 110 million dollars.

ovo neimenovano umetničko delo je prodato na aukciji za više od 110 miliona dolara.

But it’s not the work of some old master.

Ali nije u pitanju delo nekog starog majstora.

These strokes of genius

Ovi genijalni potezi

belong to 21 year old black Brooklynite Jean-Michel Basquiat –

pripadaju 21-godišnjem crncu iz Bruklina, Žanu-Mišelu Baskijatu,

one of America’s most charismatic painters,

jednom od najharizmazičnijih američkih slikara

and currently, its highest sold.

sa trenutno najskuplje prodatim delom.

Born in 1960 to a Haitian father and a Puerto Rican mother,

Rođen 1960. godine od oca sa Havaja i majke iz Portorika,

Basquiat spent his childhood making art and mischief in Boerum Hill.

Baskijat je proveo detinjstvo baveći se umetnošću i nestašlucima u Borem Hilu.

While he never attended art school,

Mada nikada nije išao u umetničku školu, učio je lutajući po njujorškim galerijama

he learned by wandering through New York galleries,

and listening to the music his father played at home.

i slušajući muziku koju je njegov otac puštao kod kuće.

He drew inspiration from unexpected places,

Crpeo je inspiraciju iz neočekivanih izvora

scribbling his own versions of cartoons, comic books and biblical scenes

i škrabao svoje verzije karikatura, stripova i biblijskih scena

on scrap paper from his father’s office.

na starom papiru iz očeve kancelarije.

But it was a medical encyclopedia that arguably

Ali verovatno je medicinska enciklopedija

exerted the most powerful influence on Basquiat.

imala najjači uticaj na Baskijata.

When young Jean-Michael was hit by a car,

Kada je mladog Žan-Mišela udario automobil,

his mother brought a copy of "Grey’s Anatomy" to his hospital bed.

majka mu je donela primerak „Grejove anatomije“ u bolnicu.

It ignited a lifelong fascination with anatomy

Ovo je podstaklo doživotnu fascinaciju anatomijom

that manifested in the skulls, sinew and guts of his later work –

koja se kasnije ispoljila kroz lobanje, žile i utrobe u njegovom radu,

which frequently explores both the power and vulnerability of marginalized bodies.

a koji često istražuje snagu i ranjivost marginalizovanih tela.

By 17, he launched his first foray into the art world with his friend Al Diaz.

U 17. godini je krenuo u svoj prvi pohod na umetnički svet sa drugom Alom Dijazom.

They spray painted cryptic statements and symbols all over Lower Manhattan,

Bojama u spreju su ostavljali zagonetne izjave i simbole po celom Donjem Menhetnu,

signed with the mysterious moniker SAMO.

potpisane misterioznim pseudonimom SAMO.

These humorous, profound, and rebellious declarations

Ove duhovite, inteligentne i buntovne izjave

were strategically scattered throughout Soho’s art scene.

strateški su razasuli širom umetničke scene Sohoa.

And after revealing himself as the artist,

Nakon što se razotkrio kao umetnik,

Basquiat leveraged SAMO’s success to enter the scene himself;

Baskijat je iskoristio uspeh SAMO-a da bi stupio na scenu,

selling postcards, playing clubs with his avant-garde band,

pa je prodavao razglednice,

svirao u klubovima sa svojim avangardnim bendom

and boldly seeking out his heroes.

i hrabro tražio svoje heroje.

By 21, he’d turned to painting full time.

U 21. godini se u potpunosti okrenuo slikanju.

His process was a sort of calculated improvisation.

Njegov proces je bio neka vrsta proračunate improvizacije.

Like Beat writers

Kao pisci generacije bit

who composed their work by shredding and reassembling scraps of writing,

koji su stvarali radove tako što bi cepali i ponovo sastavljali delove teksta,

Basquiat used similar cut-up techniques to remix his materials.

Baskijat je koristio slične tehnike rezanja

kako bi pomešao svoje materijale.

When he couldn't afford canvases,

Kada nije mogao da priušti platna,

he fashioned them out of discarded wood he found on the street.

pravio ih je od bačenih komada drveta koje bi pronašao na ulici.

He used oil stick, crayons, spray paint and pencil

Koristio je štap za ulje, bojice, sprej i olovku

and pulled quotes from the menus, comic books and textbooks

i izvlačio citate iz menija, stripova i udžbenika

he kept open on the studio floor.

koje je držao otvorene na podu ateljea.

He kept these sources open on his studio floor,

Držao je te izvore otvorene na podu svog ateljea

often working on multiple projects at once.

i često radio na više projekata istovremeno.

Pulling in splintered anatomy, reimagined historical scenes,

Kroz unošenje delova anatomije, izmenjenih istorijskih scena

and skulls transplanted from classical still-lives,

i lobanja presađenih iz klasičnih scena mrtve prirode,

Basquiat repurposed both present day experiences and art history

Baskijat je ujedno preuredio današnja iskustva i istoriju umetnosti

into an inventive visual language.

u inventivni vizuelni jezik.

He worked as if inserting himself into the legacy of artists he borrowed from,

Radio je kao da unosi sebe u nasleđe umetnika od kojih je pozajmljivao,

producing collages that were just as much in conversation with art history

stvarajući kolaže koji su podjednako bili u interakciji sa istorijom umetnosti

as they were with each other.

kao i međusobno.

For instance, "Toussaint L’Overture versus Savonarola"

Na primer, „Tusen-Luvertir naspram Savonarole“

and "Undiscovered Genius of the Mississippi Delta"

i „Neotkriveni genije delte Misisipija“

offer two distinct visions of Basquiat’s historical and contemporary concerns.

nude dve različite vizije

istorijskih i savremenih tema kojima se Baskijat bavio.

But they echo each other in the details,

Ali ponavljaju detalje jedno drugog,

such as the reappearing head that also resurfaces in "PPCD."

kao što je glava koja se javlja ponovo na slici „PPCD“.

All these pieces form a network that offers physical evidence

Svi ovi delovi sačinjavaju mrežu koja nudi fizički dokaz

of Basquiat’s restless and prolific mind.

Baskijiatovog nemirnog i plodnog uma.

These chaotic canvases won rapid acclaim and attention.

Ova haotična platna brzo su zadobila priznanje i pažnju.

But despite his increasingly mainstream audience,

Ali, uprkos sve većoj publici mejnstrima,

Basquiat insisted on depicting challenging themes

Baskijat je insistirao na prikazivanju izazovnih tema

of identity and oppression.

identiteta i ugnjatavanja.

Marginalized figures take center stage, such as prisoners, cooks and janitors.

Marginalizovane figure zauzimaju centralno mesto,

kao što su zatvorenici, kuvari i domari.

His obsession with bodies, history, and representation

Njegova opsesija telima, istorijom i predstavljanjem

can be found in works evoking the Atlantic slave trade and African history,

može se naći u delima koja se pozivaju

na atlantsku trgovinu robljem i istoriju Afrike,

as well as pieces focusing on contemporary race relations.

kao i dela koji se fokusiraju na savremena pitanja vezana za rasu.

In less than a decade,

Za manje od deset godina,

Basquiat made thousands of paintings and drawings-

Baskijat je stvorio hiljade slika i crteža,

along with sculpture, fragments of poetry and music.

kao i skulptura, fragmenata poezije i muzike.

His output accelerated alongside his meteoric rise to fame,

Njegovo stvaralaštvo je ubrzano raslo, kao i njegov meteorski uspon do slave,

but his life and work were cut tragically short

ali su njegov život i rad tragično skraćeni

when he died from a drug overdose at the age of 27.

kada je umro u 27. godini od predoziranja drogom.

After his death, Basquiat’s work only increased in value-

Nakon njegove smrti, vrednost Baskijatovih dela je samo porasla,

but the energy and flair of his pieces

ali su energija i dar njegovih radova

have impacted much more than their financial worth.

imali znatno veći uticaj od njihove finansijske vrednosti.

Today, his influence swirls around us in music, poetry, fashion and film-

Danas je njegov uticaj prisutan oko nas u muzici, poeziji, modi i filmu,

and his art retains the power to shock, inspire, and get under our skin.

a njegova umetnost i dalje ima moć da šokira, inspiriše i uđe nam pod kožu.