I recently watched the film, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, directed by Tamara Davis, 2010. The movie was packed full of facts, live interviews, art and Jean-Michel himself.
Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child draws your attention within minutes and keeps your focus until the end credits. Sadly, if you know Basquiat than you know how his story ends. However, the director did a phenomenal job of keeping the film in high spirits as best as it could be. Unavoidably there are dark moments that need to be shown to us, yet we can’t let the dark in Basquiat’s life overpower the amazing artist he was and how he changed the art world. His art made people think, question controversial topics and even dive deeper into their own emotions.
Few flaws can be found in this film. One of very few critiques I had was that there isn’t much emphasis on his backstory or his childhood. I found myself searching for answers, why did he run away from home? Where is his mother? I feel we aren’t informed as much about her as we are his father. Although I am left with questions, many were answered. What brings such magic to Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child is we get to visibly see him speaking. These video interviews with him were taken over 20 years ago and hidden away after his tragic death. Not only does it give Basquiat the element of mystery by hiding him away from the world but leaves you hanging on every word he says. Some of the questions he was asked about his art left me with a better understanding of not his art but Basquiat as a person. He wants to appear simple on the outside and yet on the inside he is a very complex man. Jean-Michel Basquiat is not famous for his art skills but rather how he can see the world and translate it through his eyes and produce a completely different perspective almost like a machine. It was not his “skill” that drew viewers in but instead the concept of his work and the somewhat puzzling manner he presented it in.
Other qualities of Jean-Michel that the film hit right on the head other than his creativity were his passion for art, his drive for fame, temper to criticism and yearning for respect. As Basquiat grew more and more famous it never seemed to be enough, not the money but, the respect he wanted and never fully received. One would argue living on the streets eating cheese doodles to overnight celebrity, starring in a film, downtown 81, being a part of the mysterious well-known group “SAMO” and painting alongside other great artists like Andy Warhol would be considered a great accomplishment. However, Jean-Michel Basquiat wanted more. It got to the point he felt the need to turn to drugs to calm his soul.
The film draws attention to an artist Basquiat worked closely with, Andy Warhol. As viewers, we are truly able to see how they fed off each other in positive ways and lifted each other out of the dark. Basquiat was able to encourage Warhol to start drawing again and in return, Warhol was the friend Basquiat needed for stability. At one point the two artists collaborated and did a show. However, it flopped and drew Basquiat into a deeper depression. He stopped communication with Warhol and crawled deeper inside himself. Many rumors were floating around such as, was there a love connection? Was Warhol taking advantage of the young artist’s fame? We are never truly given answers to these and many more questions but left to decide for ourselves.
As we can see, a pattern starts to form in the film by following a timeline from early on till late in his career, a downhill slope for Basquiat’s art and wellbeing. Although his art is selling for thousands and he is well known globally, he is still being turned down by “snotty” high-end art galleries. His art starts to slow down. It was two years until he was in another art show. The art he produced now contained more empty space and consisted of negative emotions. In one painting he repeats the words “man dies”. At this point in the film through live footage of Jean-Michel and photographs, we see he is physically deteriorating. The death of fellow artist Andy Warhol sent him deeper into his downward spiral.
Overall, in my opinion, this gives insight into Jean-Michel Basquiat as an artist and as a person. His life consisted of beauty and pain. He had friends, love, ambitions, and dreams. When people become famous or have tragic deaths, we tend to overlook the true person they were and the lives they led and use tunnel vision to only see their success and demise. Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, captures a part of the artist many people have never seen. His artwork in SAMO with Al Diaz, living on the streets and occasionally staying on friends’ couches. This is key to understand his work. Fan of the arts or not, I recommend this movie to everyone.
