Zeitgeist: The Art Scene of Teenage Basquiat Curated by Sara Driver, Carlo McCormick, Mary-Ann Monforton and Howl! Happening Exhibition: May 13 – June 10, 2018

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. Zeitgeist and the special events (listed below) bring to life the artist and a long-gone era in downtown creativity and social history that is a relevant commentary on contemporary issues and ideas.

 

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 flashpoint 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 includes Basquiat’s work and that of his friends and artists, writers, filmmakers, and musicians who emerged from that scene:

 

Alexis Adler                                    Richard Hambleto

Charlie Ahearn                               Becky Howland

Ted Barron                                     Tessa Hughes-Freeland

Jean-Michel Basquiat                     Jim Jarmusch

Philippe Bordas                             Justen Ladda

Robert Carrithers                          Ann Messner

Henry Chalfant                               Mary-Ann Monforton

Brett De Palma                               James Nares

Vivienne Dick                                  Glenn O’Brien

Jane Dickson                                   Tom Otterness

Al Diaz                                              Franc Palaia

Barbara Ess                                     Lee Quiñones

Coleen Fitzgibbon                           Walter Robinson

Fab 5 Freddy                                    Christy Rupp

Robert Goldman aka Bobby G       Luc Sante

Godlis                                               Kenny Scharf

Nan Goldin                                      Paul Tschinkel

Robin Winter

 

About Howl! Happening

About Boom for Real

 

Howl! Happening: An Arturo Vega Project

6 East First Street (Between Bowery and 2nd Ave)

New York, NY 10003

917 475 1294

contact@howlarts.org

Gallery Hours: Wed – Sun, 11 AM–6 PM

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