Zeitgeist: The Art Scene of Teenage Basquiat
An Exhibition and Special Events
Curated by Sara Driver, Carlo McCormick, Mary-Ann Monforton and Howl! Happening
Opening Sunday, May 13, 2018 / 6–9 PM / Free
Exhibition: May 13–June 10, 2018
Robert Carrithers, 1979
Howl! Happening: An Arturo Vega Project is pleased to announce Zeitgeist: The Art Scene of Teenage Basquiat, a group exhibition focusing on the artists and scene around Jean-Michel Basquiat’s teen-aged, pre-fame years. Curated by Howl! Happening, Sara Driver, Carlo McCormick, and Mary-Ann Monforton, Zeitgeist complements and amplifies the theatrical release of Sara Driver’s film BOOM FOR REAL The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat from Magnolia Pictures .
The film premieres on May 11th at IFC, New York.
The period covered in the exhibition and film tells the story of Jean-Michel’s early work, peers, and creative community in gritty, pre-AIDS, downtown New York—before the rise of the 80s art and real estate juggernaut. It was a time when decay, drugs, and dissolution fueled a boom in creativity where the definition of fame, success, and power was not based on money, Facebook likes, and self-promotion. For these creators, to be a penniless published poet or a musician gigging at CBs was the height of success. In the rawness of the work, the focus on street art and graffiti, and the experimentation and cross-pollination of styles and disciplines, the era has become a flash point for younger generations seeking to learn about and understand the authenticity, closeness, and community expressed in the work of the artists in Zeitgeist.
The exhibition—and a series of special events—illuminate Basquiat’s work and that of his friends and other artists, writers, filmmakers, and musicians who emerged from that scene, including:
Alexis Adler
Charlie Ahearn
Ted Barron
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Philippe Bordas
Robert Carrithers
Henry Chalfant
Brett De Palma
Jane Dickson
Al Diaz
Barbara Ess
Coleen Fitzgibbon
Fab 5 Freddy
Futura
Robert Goldman aka Bobby G
Godlis
Nan Goldin
Richard Hambleton
Becky Howland
Tessa Hughes-Freeland
Jim Jarmusch
Justen Ladda
Ann Messner
Mary-Ann Monforton
James Nares
Glenn O’Brien
Franc Palaia
Lee Quiñones
Walter Robinson
Christy Rupp
Luc Sante
Kenny Scharf
Paul Tschinkel
Robin Winters
Special events will include:
· A panel discussion featuring Alexis Adler, Felice Rosser, Lee Quiñones, Al Diaz, and more
· A screening of Howard Brookner’s 1983 documentary Burroughs: The Movie from the Criterion Collection
· An evening of films featuring an experimental film by Basquiat’s bandmate Michael Holman, with a soundtrack by Gray, the band he and Basquiat formed; David Schmidlapp’s film of Walter Steding playing beneath the Brooklyn Bridge; and Paul Tschinkel’s film about New York/New Wave, curator Diego Cortez’s groundbreaking exhibition at PS1 in 1981
· A performance by Felice Rosser
· Readings
· A special series of film screenings in collaboration with Anthology Film Archives
About Howl! Happening
About BOOM FOR REAL The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat
Howl! Happening: An Arturo Vega Project
6 East First Street (Between Bowery and 2nd Ave)
New York, NY 10003
Gallery Hours: Wed–Sun, 11 AM–6 PM
