Basquiat: Italian paintings in Switzerland, the time of recognition

In plain sight

Later, Basquiat described his time in Italy as a "sick factory," and it ended after a conflict with his gallerists. Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled (Angel) (1982). Photo: Robert Bayer, © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat, licensed by Artestar, New York.

Although he is essentially associated with the New York underground scene of the 1980s, Jean-Michel Basquiat also frequently traveled to Asia and Europe. During one of his trips to the Italian city of Modena in 1982, he created a group of eight new paintings for an exhibition with dealer Emilio Mazzoli, which ultimately did not take place.

Over time, these works embarked on their own journeys around the world. Just over 40 years later, they were brought together for the first time in a new exhibition at the Beyeler Foundation in the Swiss city of Riehen, near Basel.

Typically, expressive works measure at least six and a half by 13 feet and usually focus on a solitary figure, which in some cases is accompanied by a cow or a dog. Lacking any common motifs of the metropolis that Basquiat typically used, they seem to reflect his new, more provincial location. Some compositions were sprayed onto old canvases discarded by the artist Mario Schifano, and all of them can be easily identified by the inscription "Modena" on the back. Thus, they can be viewed as a single body of work.

In 1982, Basquiat was only 21 years old, but his star was rapidly rising, and in June he was the youngest artist exhibiting at Documenta 7 in Kassel. The year before, Mazzoli had held his first solo exhibition under his original pseudonym SAMO, so at the beginning of 1982, the artist gladly accepted an invitation from the Italian dealer to visit Modena and create new works in his warehouse studio.

However, looking back at this agreement after several years, Basquiat compared it to a "sick factory. I hated it. I wanted to be a star, not a gallery mascot." He was certainly relieved when Mazzoli canceled the exhibition due to disagreements.

The exhibition "Basquiat: Modena Paintings" will run until August 27. A preview of the works from the exhibition is below.

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Wine of Golden Teeth (1982). Photo: Annick Witter, © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat, licensed by Artestar, New York.

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Boy and Dog in Johnnypump (1982). Photo: Daniel Portnoy © The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat, licensed by Artestar, New York.

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Field Next to Another Road (1982). Photo: Adam Rake, © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat, licensed by Artestar, New York.

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled (Woman with Roman Torso [Venus]) (1982). Photo: Robert Bayer, © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat, licensed by Artestar, New York.

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled (Cow Parts) (1982). Photo: Adam Reich, © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat, licensed by Artestar, New York.

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Profit 1 (1982). Photo: Robert Bayer, © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat, licensed by Artestar, New York.

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Devil (1982). Photo: © 2023 Phillips Auctioneers LLC. All rights reserved.

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