Dos Cabezas
Dos Cabezas is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988) in 1982. The double portrait resulted from Basquiat's first formal meeting with his idol, American pop artist Andy Warhol.
| Dos Cabezas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Jean-Michel Basquiat |
| Year | 1982 |
| Movement | Neo-expressionism |
| Dimensions | 151.8 cm × 154 cm (59.75 in × 60.5 in) |
History
After Bruno Bischofberger became Jean-Michel Basquiat's art dealer, he gave Basquiat a one-man show in his Zurich gallery in September 1982.[1] Bischofberger arranged a lunch meeting between Basquiat and Warhol on October 4, 1982.[2] Basquiat first met Warhol when he sold him a postcard in 1979.[3] He idolized Warhol, but Warhol had a condescending first impression of him based on his diary entry from The Andy Warhol Diaries:
Down to meet Bruno Bischofberger (cab $7.50). He brought Jean-Michel Basquiat with him. He's the kid who used the name "Samo" when he used to sit on the sidewalk in Greenwich Village and paint T-shirts. and I'd give him $10 here and there…He's just one of those kids who drives me crazy. He's black but some people say he's Puerto Rican so I don't know. And then Bruno discovered him and now he’s on Easy Street… had lunch for them and then I took a Polaroid and he went home and within two hours a painting was back, still wet, of him and me together. And I mean, just getting to Christie Street must have taken an hour. He told me his assistant painted it.[4]
Dos Cabezas, meaning two heads in Spanish, is based on a self-portrait Warhol took with Basquiat. The artwork ignited a close friendship between them which led to a collaboration on numerous paintings.[5] Although Basquiat and Warhol would create several portraits of each other during the following years, Dos Cabezas is their only joint portrait. It sold for $7 million at Christie's post-war and contemporary evening sale in November 2010.[6][7]
Exhibitions
Dos Cabezas has been exhibited at art institutions worldwide, which include:
- Jean-Michel Basquiat at Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, October 1992–February 1993; The Menil Collection in Houston, March–May 1993; Des Moines Art Center in Iowa, May–August 1993; Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts in Alabama, November 1993–January 1994.[8]
- Basquiat at the Brooklyn Museum in New York, March 11–June 2005; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, July–October 2005; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, November 2005–February 2006.[8]
- Basquiat: Boom for Real at is at the Barbican in London, September 2017–January 2018.[9]
References
- Hoban, Phoebe (2016-05-17). Basquiat: A Quick Killing in Art. Open Road Media. ISBN 978-1-5040-3450-0.
- Faughnan, Ally (May 28, 2019). "The best, worst, and weirdest parts of Warhol and Basquiat's friendship". Dazed. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- Brumfitt, Stuart (September 19, 2017). "New York Inspiration | Tales from Teen Basquiat's Best Friend". Amuse. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- Warhol, Andy; Hackett, Pat (2009). The Andy Warhol Diaries. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 978-0-446-57124-1.
- "Warhol and Basquiat". Phillips. July 13, 2020. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- Vogel, Carol (November 10, 2010). "Lichtenstein Tops Warhol in Auction at Christie's". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
- Scott, Chadd. "Judge Jean-Michel Basquiat-Andy Warhol Collaborations For Yourself At Jack Shainman Gallery's The School". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- "Jean-Michel Basquiat, Dos Cabezas". Christie's. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- "Boom for Real: Basquiat comes to London". Christie's. October 1, 2017. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
