Between 1984 and 1985, Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) and Andy Warhol (1928-1987) created around 160 paintings together in tandem, “à quatre mains”, including some of the largest works produced during their respective careers. About eighty canvases jointly signed by the two artists are on display at the Fondation Vuitton in Paris from April 5 to August 28, 2023, for the “Basquiat × Warhol. Painting four hands” exhibition, which brings together more than three hundred works and documents. Also featured are individual works by each as well as a set of works by other major artists (Futura 2000, Michael Halsband, Keith Haring, Jenny Holzer, Kenny Scharf...) in order to evoke the energy of the New York downtown art scene of the 1980s.

The exhibition will open with a series of portraits of Basquiat by Warhol and of Warhol by Basquiat. It will continue with the early collaborations. These works, initiated by the two artists’ dealer, Bruno Bischofberger, benefited from a collaboration with the Italian artist, Francesco Clemente (born in 1952). After completing these 15 paintings together with Clemente, Basquiat and Warhol pursued their collaboration on an almost daily basis, with enthusiasm and complicity. The energy and force of their incessant exchanges will be the driving force of the exhibition, running through all of the galleries in the Foundation featuring highlights such as the monumental sculpture Ten Punching Bags (Last Supper) or the 8 meter canva African Mask.

Basquiat admired Warhol as an elder, a key art world personality, and the pioneer of a new language and of a groundbreaking relationship to pop culture. Warhol, in turn, found in Basquiat a renewed interest in painting. Thanks to him, he went back to painting manually on a very large scale.

"Andy would start one (painting) and put something very recognizable on it, or a product logo, and I would sort of deface it. Then I would try to get him to work some more on it, I would try to get him to do at least two thing," said Jean-Michel Basquiat. "I drew it first and then I painted it like Jean-Michel. I think those paintings we’re doing together are better when you can’t tell who did which parts," replied Andy Warhol.

Basquiat × Warhol. Painting four hands
April 5 - August 28, 2023
Fondation Vuitton
8 avenue du Mahatma Gandhi
75116 Paris, France
www.fondationlouisvuitton.fr

Photo: courtesy image official website