Verbal/Linguistic

(Word Smart)
Choose an artist. Write a presentation on the life of this artist. Use the outline provided to
establish the key components of the biograph. Then, elaborate on each point to fulfill a fulllength paper at least three paragraphs, single-spaced with 1 margins, using 12point font. Use
MLA formatting and remember to have a Works Cited page listing all resources, where they were
found, and when. When finished, create a button on your home page and link your presentation
to the button. Label the button with the full name of the artist.
Extra Credit Option: Present your speech to the class.
I.

Artists Life
a. Birth
i. Date: Dec 22, 1960
ii. Place: Brooklyn Hospital, New York
b. Places lived
i. Park Slope, Brooklyn
ii. East 35th St., Brooklyn
iii. Beorum Hill Section of Brooklyn
iv. Mira Mar, Puerto Rico
c. Family life
i. Father, Gerard and Matilde Andradas
ii. He dated Suzanne Mallouk but didnt get married or have any kids
iii. Two sisters, one brother
iv. Parents separated at Basquiats age of 7, but they never divorce
v. Basquiat runs away from home quite often, causes a lot of trouble
d. Education
i. Starts out at Catholic Private School
ii. Attends number of public schools, P.S. 181, 101, 45, & I.S. 293
iii. Episcopalian School in Puerto Rico
iv. Edward R. Murrow High
v. City-as-school, alternative high school
e. Other interesting personal information
i. Basquiat never fully graduated since he dumped shave cream on the
principle, and decided it wasnt worth trying to finish high school
ii. As his fame grew, his personal issues worsened
f. Death
i. Date: Aug 12, 1985
ii. Place: Died in his art studio
iii. Cause: Heroin overdose
g. Memorial
i. Private funeral held at Frank E. Campbell funeral home
ii. Buried at Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn
iii. Memorial service held at St. Peters Church on Nov. 5, 1985

II.

Artists Artwork
a. His mother drew with him in his spare time as a kid
b. He started as a graffitist called SAMO writing poems all over the city
c. He mostly taught himself, but City-as-school branched his talent
d. He expanded the neo-expressionism and primitivism
e. Graffiti (spray paint), paint, and sketches
f. He focused on class struggle, segregation, and addiction
g. He was extremely popular during his time.

h. He was part of a band called Grey, based on his being influenced by the book Greys
Anatomy
i. Basquiat stars a lead role in a movie based on the art movement happening during
that period, and he can finally afford his own official art studio and art supplies. The
movie introduces him to Andy Warhol
III.

Artists contribution to the art world

a. Basquiat was the primary force behind the expressionist art movement that swept
the 80s
i. His art turned peoples attention towards issues such as class struggle
ii. His art was popular because
b. Specific style
i. Neo-expressionism, primitivism
ii. Andy Warhol, Keith Haring where his collaborators
Citations
http://www.theartstory.org/artist-basquiat-jean-michel.htm
http://www.basquiat.com/artist.htm#
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/04/04/young-fun