Deeper Truths from Jean-Michel Basquiat
American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat was active for only a brief period during the 1980s but his body of work is considered among the most remarkable of the 20th century. Reflecting his beginnings in conceptual graffiti, and regularly referencing street art, Basquiat combined high and low culture to present a vision of the world that he described as “a springboard to deeper truths about the individual”.
One of the most important exhibitions dedicated to the artist, “Jean-Michel Basquiat: Now’s the Time”, is currently on show at the Guggenheim Museum Blibao (until 1 November). The exhibition includes about 100 large-scale paintings and drawings from public and private collections across the United States and Europe, organised around the themes that inspired Basquiat, who died in 1988 aged just 27. His powerful and emotionally charged works explore issues such as racial identity and history, and as an artist he immersed himself in high art and graffiti, jazz and rap, punk and pop culture, anatomy textbooks and comics – channelling this complexity into layered works that presaged today’s internet culture.
A Bold Modern Aesthetic
For husband and wife Dutch design team Jan and Monique des Bouvrie, the aim in designing interior and exterior spaces – both commercial and residential – is to create “a self-contained universe of modernity where bold and noteworthy art plays a significant role”. This philosophy is reflected and outlined in a new book published by teNeues, “des Bouvrie Architecture Interior”, which showcases highlights of their body of work to date. Their style is defined as cerebral, “with a sleek appeal that artfully interjects powerful jolts of solid colour to create dramatic and original statements… coolly elegant and refined, their spaces are straightforward with no hint of obfuscation”.
The World of Shabby Chic
Author, designer and entrepreneur Rachel Ashwell has just published her ninth book, “The World of Shabby Chic: Beautiful Homes, My Story & Vision”. The book is described as “a celebratory look back at 25 years of the inspirations, the joys and tears, the life lessons, and the found treasures that have made up her journey in pioneering the now-iconic Shabby Chic aesthetic”. According to Ashwell, the essence of shabby chic is “a timeless, romantic and charming interior filled with beautifully worn and well-loved objects, a palette of pales and pastels with captivating surprises, flowers in abundance, and the promise of enveloping comfort”..
