FONDATION LOUIS VUITTON
BASQUIAT X WARHOL
FONDATION LOUIS VUITTON
BASQUIAT X WARHOL
BASQUIAT X WARHOL. WITH FOUR HANDS
at THE fondation louis vuitton
Basquiat x Warhol. With four hands
Exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton
Until August 28, 2023
Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol created around 160 paintings together – with four hands – between 1984 and 1986. And you can see an incredible 70 of them at this exhibition at the Louis Vuitton Foundation. They are on display alongside pictures produced by the pair in collaboration with Francesco Clemente and other works and photographs by some of their contemporaries.
As if that wasn’t enough, you can also admire two impressive pieces by both artists that are some of the biggest in their entire collections.
This truly is an incredible opportunity to learn more about both artists!
BASQUIAT X WARHOL
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BASQUIAT X WARHOL
The Exhibition
Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988) and Andy Warhol (1928–1987) are two pop art heavyweights from different generations. The good friends joined forces to create a huge catalogue of paintings together. The Louis Vuitton Foundation has collated almost half of them in this exhibition to give us a fascinating insight into this collaborative creative phase in both artists’ careers.
After their paths first crossed in 1979 and 1980, Basquiat and Warhol were brought together by their art dealer Bruno Bischofberger in October 1982. In fact, it was Bischofberger who suggested that the two of them create paintings together “with four hands”.
In the beginning, they were also joined by another artist called Francesco Clemente. 15 of the paintings produced by the three of them are on display at the exhibition.
As we’ve come to expect from any exhibition at the Louis Vuitton Foundation, this one fills almost every room in the magnificent building designed by Frank Gehry. The exhibition is divided into 13 themed sections and spread out over 9 rooms, with works by other contemporary artists cleverly weaved in to provide historical and artistic context.
A FRIENDSHIP
The exhibition starts with portraits of the artists by the artists – Warhol by Basquiat and Basquiat by Warhol.
It’s great to have this reminder of their individual styles before moving on to explore their collaborative creations. This is the key to dissecting the paintings to come and breaking down the creative process.
BASQUIAT, CLEMENTE, WARHOL
In the autumn of 1983, Bruno Bischofberger started by asking Basquiat if he’d be interested in collaborating with other artists. He convinced Clemente next, and then got Warhol on board.
The collaboration between the three of them is portrayed here through 15 paintings that are a fascinating blend of Warhol’s silkscreen prints, Basquiat’s brusque painting style and Clemente’s super soft facial features.
In the spring of 1984, Basquiat and Warhol embarked upon their short but intense collaborative creative phase as a duo. For two years, they got together in the studio almost every day and created works of art together. Warhol even picked up his paintbrush again, having turned to silkscreen printing in the mid-1960s. Just so you know, you can’t assume that all the painted elements are Basquiat’s work!
A NEW ARTISTIC STYLE
The exhibition curators decided to call the section featuring 10-metre-long paintings (yes, you read that right!) ‘Larger Than Life’. They still manage to make an impact despite somehow looking a little lost in the humongous hall.
LARGER THAN LIFE
PHOTO SESSION WITH MICHAEL HALSBAND
By the time spring came around in 1985, Warhol and Bischofberger agreed to showcase a selection of the many, many works to have already come out of the collaboration with Basquiat. Basquiat chose Michael Halsband as the photographer for the poster, which explains why the two artists ended up in Halsband’s studio ready to simulate a boxing match on 10 July 1985.
You can see the results of that session, including the photo they settled on for the poster, at the exhibition. It’s nice to step away from all the paintings for a moment and take a look at some photos for a change.
THE ART SCENE IN DOWNTOWN NEW YORK IN THE MID-1980S
There’s one room that transports us to a different world and gives us some context to Basquiat and Warhol’s collaborative creative phase. Here you can see what else was going on in the world of art at the same time – including graffiti.
TEN PUNCHING BAGS (LAST SUPPER)
Forget canvas – the two artists used ten punching bags to express themselves for this installation piece. The sculpture was never presented to the public while the two of them were alive.
Warhol painted the face of Jesus Christ (based on Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Last Supper’) on each punching bag and Basquiat added the word ‘Judge’ to every single one. Much like Halsband’s photos, this installation piece adds some welcome variety to an exhibition with a focus on paintings.
The last of all the works of art the pair created together are on display in a room with high ceilings that might remind you of a church.
Warhol died in 1987, not long after the two artists stopped producing pieces together in 1986.
Basquiat, who had been deeply affected by his friend’s death, died just one year later.
LAST COLLABORATIVE CREATIONS
SUMMARY
It’s amazing that so many of the pieces from the collaboration are on display at this exhibition – 70 out of 160! I really enjoyed finding out about the creative process for each of the paintings. Who started painting first? Which bits did Warhol do? How about Basquiat?
There’s no doubt that this exhibition fits perfectly into the vibe and space at the Louis Vuitton Foundation. It feels like it was meant to be!
I have to say, though, that I found the paintings a bit samey. My initial enthusiasm had definitely waned by the time I reached the second part of the exhibition. Less would have been more in this case. But I guess it makes sense in the context of Andy Warhol and his use of repetition!
Yours,
Jacqueline
Official website of the Fondation Louis Vuitton (FR/EN): www.fondationlouisvuitton.fr
Text and image rights: © Céline Mülich, 2023
With the support of Jacqueline Glarner
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