[Photo by James Maher]
The Basquiat exhibit officially opened to the ticket-holding public back on March 6 at the Brant Foundation, 421 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.
The exhibit, featuring some 70 works collectively valued at $1 billion, is up through May 15. There is a waitlist (link here) for admittance.
Multiple EVG contributors/readers have shared photos from inside the four-level space owned by Peter M. Brant this past month. Overall the comments about the exhibit, the inaugural one inside this renovated building, have been overwhelmingly positive. People have appreciated how uncrowded the floors feel ... as well as the East Village views the space provides.
The following shots are by old EVG friend James Maher...
... and Carol from East Fifth Street shared these... (she called the exhibit "extraordinary — I was truly overwhelmed.")
Previously on EV Grieve:
A Basquiat-at-the-Brant Foundation reader
16 comments:
It was an excellent exhibit, in an impressive space that they kept uncrowded and unhurried. There was no explanatory material on the walls, but they did have people working the floors who would engage you in conversation. Overall it gave me a greater appreciation of Basquiat, but I remain unconvinced that he was a great artist . . .
Thanks for the photos. I'd get a serious crick in my neck trying to see artwork mounted so insanely high on the wall (and you can't really SEE those pieces well from that distance, unless you have binoculars with you).
It's nice that Mr. Brant has such deep pockets, but as exhibition spaces go, it seems lifeless and cold.
The space is better than the art.
The space is stunning. I kept thinking how lucky Walter was to live there all those years. I wish the tshirts and sweatshirts hadn't been so expensive. It was $50 for a tee and $100 for a sweatshirt, so I couldn't get either.
Sorry to sound cynical but I went and also felt the exhibition space is far greater than the art. The interior is superb. I spent more time staring at structure of the ceiling than the artwork.
This show makes me want to buy a kilo of weed, a sugar bowl full of cocaine, a daily supply of China White
and then paint my brains out making neo-expressionist cartoons.
I’ve seen the exhibit twice now since it opened. The space is nice and has an industrial feel on especially the second floor, which is understandable, since the building was once for industrial use. The crowds are kept small, so that is also a plus. Although, some of the comments I’ve overheard while at the exhibit makes me realize how much times have not changed, since Basquiat was alive. I’m stating this because of what I’m sure is not intentional racist comments, but none the less racist, with things like “I’d expect more tribal style art” or the white tour guide making sure to tell the African American youth tour group “it’s a myth Basquiat grew up poor”. The crowds are 95% white, with a lot of upper class/rich old white people. This is unfortunately common for gallery and museum events (having been employed at MoMA I’m aware), but it saddens me when I hear people either say racist remarks or reduce the artist to a novelty because they’re African American. I saw this happen everyday at the Jacob Lawrence exhibit at MoMA in 2015. People wanted to see the exhibit, but didn’t even know the artists name, so they asked to see the James Earl Jones exhibit or insert the name of other various African American actors or even musicians. It seemed like to these old white people, one famous “black entertainer” represented them all. Also, when attending the Kerry James Marshall exhibit at the Met Breuer, I experienced subtle racism. The Basquiat exhibit has proven to be the same. Love the artwork, hate the crowd. Basquiat was an artist, not a “Black Artist”, just an artist. He made art as he felt he needed to, since he was driven through the compulsion to create and on his own terms. He would have made art even if he never had fame. Even in death it seems he has not broke free of the labels for who he was and what he created, RIP Jean....
If anything the art made the space look even more bland than it actually is. You can tell they spent a lot of money on the renovation, only to make it look as inoffensive as possible, like mouthwash. The show itself is spectacular. Go see it while you still can.
@3:54pm: $50 for a TEE SHIRT?? Because Brant doesn't already have enough money, I guess?!
It must be great to have s much money to burn.
the show is amazing, the artwork is incredible. so much detail, really great to look at close and far. (yes, it is unfortunate to not see the 2nd floor gallery collection up close, but seeing the group together was also impressive and just awesome).
I went the first Friday, thanks to EVG posting about the show signup. I took a photo of every single piece and have looked at the images hundreds of times already and always find something new in them. Just to let you know, commenter at 4:44... I'm white, but about half the attendees at my time slot were black. Because there were so few people there, we actually had a chance to talk with each other about the work. (OK, yes, and our outfits, we all looked swell!)
The exhibition is well organized and I was moved by Basquiat’s paintings which are just incredible. The space itself is outstanding architecturally, and perect as a small museum. It fits right into the East Village and I hope to see more shows displaying the work of artists who have been part of the Lower East Side community. Excellent show not to be missed.
Basquiat's very good with color and composition, in an academic way. In a way that any kid at SVA could do it. The addition of his stream of consciousness text is what makes this work interesting and what winds being his kiss of death. Clearly he's no Bob Dylan and he's no James Joyce. But no problem. Basquiait is a good looking young black guy who's made the late night party scene. WE CAN SELL THIS. Our Euro clients will love this shit. If they're blowing $25k for a bunch of "paintings" what's $1000 or $1500 more for a hot young thing? We'll flood the market and in a year or two we'll cash in when we can really jack up the prices!
Add white walls, white people, white wine and we'll make a killing!
Beautiful exhibition space. Basquiat....meh.
As was said on Seinfeld... "... it's breath taking... ".
No one is stopping you, seize the day.
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