Basquiat's Defacement at the Guggenheim Museum New York

def ac ement

By Melissa Henderson

If you’re in New York between now and November 6, 2019, you have to spend time with Jean-Michel Basquiat’s never-before-seen portrait entitled, ”Defacement.” When I RSVPed to attend the press preview of Jean - Michel Basquiat’s first exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum, I did it to support Chaédria LaBouvier, the first black woman and the first black solo curator at the best museum in the world. . Someone tweeted that there needed to be black representation at this press preview so I rose to the occasion on the eve before Issue 5 launch date to see what all the hype was about. It was a humid damp morning on the Upper East Side, inside the museum, like museum’s do, froze time as the independent art curator spoke in a voice that was so calming, it made the words coming from her mouth that much more emotional. “...This is why this is my belief that defacement is Basquiat most personal painting” LaBouvier said. “And because of that, it was a painting I believe was never meant to be seen publicly. And that point has been one of the main features of my research for the last four years to understand why he created this painting and created a painting given to Keith Haring and later Keith Haring’s goddaughter, where it currently resides in her collection,” she reveals to the intimate crowd. One look at the infamous painting and you can tell it’s important and deeply personal. What we know now as Basquait’s tribute to his artist friend Michael Jerome Stewart, who was fatally beaten by New York City Police Officers at the 14th Street subway stop in 1983. It was a tragic death and the whole artist community came together to protest police brutality through art. They created all types of murals, signage, zines, pins and protest flyers to mourn their friend. On the seventh floor of the museum, Defacement sits framed in this elegant gold frame in the middle of the room, lit with dramatic art light so that every little brush stroke can be seen. One look and there’s a feeling. It’s that art feeling. The type that makes you blinded from looking because it holds so much passion. I felt totally seen viewing Defacement. Maybe it was Kieth Haring’s diary displayed in a glass case that detailed his innermost thoughts about his friend’s death. Or maybe it was LaBouvier’s thoughts prior to viewing the work. It made me think about my own place in creating something meaningful that has staying power, tributes to friends who have passed away. These days, friend groups, social circles should be more intentional. Sometimes Jealousy about who’s making more money and who’s too boujee to keep up gets exhausting. What if I die tomorrow? Would someone protest my art for me? Will the VSZ still be relevant? Who will show up for the sake of collaboration? Those are the questions that hit me while looking at this painting and the items surrounding it. Everyone was doing their own thing within the art and commerce world, but still needed to find that release to deal with tragedy. How many of us can say the same? The purpose of this zine has always been to fill a void the media world could not offer me. To cover up rejection with success in my own work. To collaborate with writers and fellow artist that I truly admire no matter what, which is why I take it personal when someone I feature or who has contributed doesn’t share the zine on social media. The finished work. Maybe it was the few friends and friends of friends who were lost to gun violence, police brutality. Sandra Bland, Mike Brown, say their names to remember.