Date of Award

2025

Document Type

MA Project - Restricted Access (SIA Only)

Project Type

MA Project - Curatorial Proposal

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Contemporary Art

First Advisor

Morgan Falconer

Second Advisor

Matthew Nichols

Abstract

Even though they have never met, A.R. Penck and Jean Michel Basquiat are related in many ways. Their ties have never been properly explored before, whether it is through an institutional exhibition or a publication. Their works were directly linked once during their shared lifetime, at the Beyeler Foundation in Basel, in the group show Expressive Paintings After Picasso in 1983. It notably included Self-Portrait, 1982 by Basquiat, used for the poster of SHARED VISIONS: A Dialogue Between Penck and Basquiat. Cahier d’Arts briefly explored this connection in a small exhibition in Paris in 2023, but its commercial context and logistical limitations restricted its scope. In an Artnet article about this show, Jeffrey Deitch – a famous New York-based art dealer and curator who befriended Basquiat – declared that both artists had a mutual admiration for each other. A.R. Penck was “such a figure” for Basquiat during his lifetime, and Penck felt like Basquiat was an “extraordinary painter”. 1 In 1984, A.R. Penck painted a monumental triptych in homage to Basquiat titled Triptychon für Basquiat. In that same year, he also wrote a Poem for Basquiat on the occasion of Basquiat’s first exhibition at the Bruno Bischofberger / Mary Boone / Michael Werner Gallery in New York. It is important to note that the two artists each had two solo exhibitions at this gallery in both 1984 and 1985. The poem written by A.R. Penck, also known as Ralf Winkler, was included in the publication of the show and was later read by Suzanne Mallouk – Basquiat’s lover - at the artist’s funerals in 1988 in New York. 2 Basquiat and A.R. Penck are both considered to be neo-expressionist painters. They share a common style that implies raw brushstrokes on large-scale gestural works, compelling 4 uses of vivid colours, primitive-like imagery and most importantly distinct symbolic visual languages. These two artists not only share a common style but also common passions – Music and Poetry. While Basquiat was part of the ‘Gray’ music band, A.R. Penck was part of the ‘Triple Trip Touch’; they both recorded music and designed vinyl album covers. Music was a crucial part of their life. While Penck’s passion for poetry was explicit—he was a poet himself—Basquiat’s lyrical power emerged through his frenetic, poetic use of words, both on his paintings and on New York’s walls during his early SAMO years, as seen in the Downtown 81 movie shot in 1980-81. Finally, many parallel lines can be drawn between their oeuvre through recurrent themes – often political and existential – addressed in their works. Among other things, Basquiat and Penck devoted themselves to exploring the systemic oppression, the fight against the establishment, and their identity and cultural heritage. These universal themes transcend geographic and cultural boundaries, resonating across time and place. A transatlantic dialogue of two artists who rose to fame in the 1980s after a period of transition - from East to West Germany for Penck in 1980 and from the streets to the studio for Basquiat in 1982 – will reaffirm their relevance in today’s globalized and fractured cultural landscape. SHARED VISION: A Dialogue Between Penck and Basquiat not only sheds light on an underexplored artistic dialogue but also asserts the power of art to bridge divides, inspiring new generations to engage with these timeless themes through a contemporary lens.

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