Untitled (New York)

Jean-Michel Basquiat designed this promotional graffiti sign for the exhibition ‘New York/New Wave’ at MoMA PS1 in 1981. The show featured more than 100 artists from the avant-garde New Wave scene, including Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and the then lesser known (20 year old) Basquiat. His paintings filled the final room at the exhibition and captivated the New York audience.

New Yorker Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) began as a graffiti artist and brought street culture into galleries, becoming a mega star of the art world. His expressive art drew on his experience as a black American artist of Haitian and Puerto-Rican descent, addressing racism and political issues.