Jean-Michel Basquiat

Drake Transforms Theme Park Into Art Extravaganza In Los Angeles, Opening Date Revealed

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Prepare for an exciting development as hip-hop artist Drake takes the lead to revive Luna Luna. It’s a neglected theme park from 1987 in Hamburg. The once-forgotten site is now slated for a grand comeback in Los Angeles this December, all thanks to Drake and his dynamic team. The event, titled “Luna Luna: A Forgotten Fantasy,” promises more than just your typical theme park experience. It’s envisioned as a dreamlike fusion of art and entertainment, featuring designs from renowned artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Imagine a mesmerizing ferris wheel by Basquiat, an enchanting wedding chapel by André Heller, and vibrant tarps designed by Keith Haring—all coming together to create a unique blend of artistic expression and amusement.

The Luna Luna saga spans several decades, with a previous attempt to revive it in the 1990s in San Diego falling short. Drake and DreamCrew rescued the park’s dormant rides from a warehouse in Texas, not with the intention of restoring it as a functional theme park but to transform it into a captivating art exhibition. While the rides themselves won’t be operational, the revitalized Luna Luna Park aims to serve as an immersive art gallery, allowing visitors to experience the artistic visions of iconic figures such as Salvador Dalì and David Hockney. Each section of the exhibit will become a canvas for creative expression, bringing art to life in a dynamic and accessible way.

Read More: Drake’s “Scary Hours” Mixtapes, Ranked

Drake Is Tapping Into Art Bag

ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 9: Rapper Drake performs onstage during “Lil Baby & Friends Birthday Celebration Concert” at State Farm Arena on December 9, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)

Drake’s involvement in this project highlights his role as more than just a music artist. Although he just dropped Scary Hours 3, he’s expanding to other things. He’s now a curator steering the ship toward an exciting vision. With Luna Luna, he transitions from the world of chart-topping hits to that of a creative force, orchestrating a symphony of artistic expression that transcends traditional boundaries. “Luna Luna: The Forgotten Fantasy” isn’t merely a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

Moreover, it’s a celebration of the enduring power of art to captivate and inspire. As the exhibit opens its doors in Los Angeles this December, brace yourself for an experience that caters not only to art enthusiasts but to anyone seeking a delightful and engaging time. Drake’s transformation of Luna Luna reflects a cultural shift, demonstrating that the fusion of creativity and entertainment knows no limits and appeals to a diverse audience. Let us know your thoughts on HNHH!

Read More: Joe Budden Unamused By Drake’s Latest Announcement

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JAY-Z To Perform at Louis Vuitton Concert in Paris Commemorating Basquiat and Warhol

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Several reports have confirmed that Jay-Z will perform in Paris at Louis Vuitton’s concert to recognize the cultural influence of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol.

In his first live performance since his iconic “God Did” verse at the 2023 Grammys Awards, Hov will take the stage in what is being called the “JAY-Z Celebration Concert.” The concert will be sponsored by Tiffany and Co. in Paris’ Louis Vuitton Foundation’s Auditorium on Friday, April 14.

“To coincide with the Basquiat x Warhol. Painting Four Hands exhibition, JAY-Z will give a celebratory concert to pay tribute to Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, on Friday 14 April 2023 at 9pm, in the Fondation’s Auditorium,” the foundation’s website reads.

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Jay-Z Will Hold A ‘Celebratory Concert’ To Pay Tribute To Andy Warhol And Jean-Michel Basquiat

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Jay Z NBA Finals Game One 2022
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Jay-Z is a man of exquisite taste across the board. From the brand of adult beverage he prefers, the songs he chooses to appear on, or who he gives a recommendation to, the “God Did” rap icon has earned the right to be picky. However, there is one thing he can’t resist, the late visual artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. So much so that this Friday (April 14), the musician will hold a ‘celebratory concert’ in Paris to pay tribute to both Basquiat and Andy Warhol.

The concert set to take place at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in France is part of an exhibition, Basquiat x Warhol. Painting Four Hands, in which the late artists’ work is being shown. Although Basquiat’s estate has spoken out against his work being featured by Jay-Z and his wife Beyoncé’s Tiffany & Co campaign (who is also backing this concert), the rapper emphasizes that he is solely a fan.

As part of the organization announced the event on Twitter, writing, “To coincide with the Basquiat x Warhol. Painting Four Hands exhibition, Jay-Z will give a celebratory concert to pay tribute to Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat.”

The entertainer has often made reference to the late artists in his music. For example, in his 2008 song, “Ain’t I,” featuring Timbaland, he rapped, “I got Warhols on my halls walls, I got Basquiats in the lobby of my spot/I’m so sophisticatedly hood, S. Carter cashmere premium goods.”

In his 2011 song, “Illest Motherf*cker Alive” with Ye (formerly Kanye West), he rapped, “When I say it then you see, it ain’t only in the music / Basquiat, Warhols serving as my muses / My house like a museum so I see ’em when I’m peeing, usually you have this much taste, you European.”

This isn’t the first time the mogul has blended together live performance with visual art. Back in 2013, Jay-Z enlisted visual artists across mediums to participate in his project, Picasso Baby: A Performance Art Film.

For more information, click here.

Orlando Museum Of Art Accused of Displaying Fake Jean-Michel Basquiat Paintings

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Orlando Museum Of Art Fake Jean Michel Basquiat Paintings

The Orlando Museum of Art has been accused of displaying over two dozen counterfeit paintings they claim were created by acclaimed artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

The New York Times reported over the weekend that the FBI is investigating 25 paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat that have been unveiled in Florida for about three months.

The investigation started after the Times reported on questions that were raised about the paintings’ authenticity a week after the exhibit opened. The artworks in question are valued at roughly $100 million.

READ MORE: Jay-Z & Beyoncé Catch Unwarranted Heat for Basquiat Art in Tiffany’s Campaign Teaser

According to the museum, the pieces are authentic and genuine from the late American Neo-expressionist painter, who rose to fame in the 1980s.

Aaron De Groft, the museum’s director and chief executive, asserts that Basquiat’s works were sold from himself directly to Hollywood screenwriter Thad Mumford for a mere $5,000 in cash. Said to have been created in 1982 while he was living and working out of a studio space in Venice, California.

According to The New York Times, The F.B.I.’s Art Crime Team is interested in ‘Untitled’ (Self-Portrait or Crown Face II), a particular piece (pictured below) that Basquiat was said to have painted on a FedEx cardboard box that was not even used by the company until 1994, six years after the famed painter died of a drug overdose.

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‘Untitled’ (Self-Portrait or Crown Face II)

According to the Brooklyn Museum, before his death in 1988, Basquiat is believed to have created roughly around 2,100 artworks. The exhibit runs for another month before the paintings go on display in Italy.

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[WATCH] Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure Exhibit Debuts In NYC

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Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure exhibit featuring a celebration of Basquiat’s life will open this April,The NYC Landmark Starrett-Lehigh Building will be featuring over 200 never before and rarely seen paintings, drawing, ephemera and artifacts.

Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure is a deeply personal exhibition created by the Basquiat family, with the exhibition designed by acclaimed architect Sir David Adjaye OBE ~ the architect for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History in Washington, D.C. and the Studio Museum in Harlem to name just a few.

“We wanted to bring his work and personality forward, in a way only his family can, for people to immerse themselves in. We want this to be an experiential and multi-dimensional celebration of Jean-Michel’s life.”…. – Lisane Basquiat

The exhibition will be divided into seven themes ~ An  Introduction (1960) ~ Kings County ~ World Famous ~ Ideal ~ 57 Great Jones Street Studio ~ Art Gallery ~ Place Jean-Michel Basquiat.

“Jean-Michel stands at the forefront of a legacy of really strong people who are committed to showing up in the world in a specific way. And that runs through our bloodline. Now our children know what can happen when you live your truth, when you stand up for what’s right for you and exert work ethic, passion & commitment to why you believe you’re here. Partly because of this blueprint, every one of our children lives in authenticity of who they are, in their own different ways,” Lisane says.

“It was important to have a show that all people want to experience. We want them to see Jean-Michel in themselves, an artist that looks like them. We want it to be completely accessible for those who have felt intimidated in the past by going to a museum,” Jeanine explains. Lisane adds: “I want people to walk away with inspiration, hope & confidence in themselves to do the same thing with whatever it is for them – whether it’s painting, music or being an accountant. To live their lives with that same commitment, dedication and grit.”

Check out the video below.

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Beyonce And Jay-Z’s Basquiat Tiffany Ad Gets Criticized By The Painter’s Collaborators And Friends

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According to a new report at The Daily Beast, the new Tiffany & Co. ad campaign featuring Beyonce and Jay-Z posing alongside a rarely-seen canvas by Jean-Michel Basquiat has drawn the ire of the artist’s closest friends and collaborators, some of whom say they were “horrified” to see the ad. They maintain that Basquiat himself would not have approved of such commercial use of his work, calling it a “prop” to give the ad empty cultural clout.

Alexis Adler, who is described as a girlfriend of the late painter who lived with him during his early career, told The Beast, “I’d seen the ad a couple days ago and I was horrified… the commercialization and commodification of Jean and his art at this point—it’s really not what Jean was about.” Alder pointed out that while Basquiat certainly wanted to be commercially successful, he also wanted his art to be accessible. “Unfortunately, the museums came to Jean’s art late, so most of his art is in private hands and people don’t get to see that art except for the shows,” she notes. “Why show it as a prop to an ad? Loan it out to a museum. In a time where there were very few Black artists represented in Western museums, that was his goal: to get to a museum.”

Al Diaz, Basquiat’s partner in the duo SAMO, also criticized the ad for misappropriating Basquiat’s image and reputation as a “luxury” association. “People think that his association with luxury was because he was impressed with that shit, but he couldn’t care less,” he explains. “It’s not just about wearing an Armani suit. If he wore it, it’s because he could buy it and fuck it up, it wasn’t because the stitches were fabulous or well-made… People won’t see the depth. At this point, the only people that could afford a Basquiat are the people he was targeting. Like, you’re the oppressor. They buy it out so that it becomes meaningless.”

And an unnamed curator of Basquiat’s work takes issue with the company’s insistence that the distinctive blue tone used on Equals Pi would ever be a simple tribute to the remarkably similar “Tiffany blue” signature. “Let’s say he did reference that color on purpose — which seems out of character for him to do something that simple — I think it really flattens his artistic approach,” they said. “He was a really deep thinker. His work wasn’t like, this symbolizes this. Everything references something but then it tells a story of that thing. But let’s say he did though… to use it in an ad, it wouldn’t have been the context. It wouldn’t be used to sell Tiffany’s but to say something critical, maybe about blood diamond extraction or something. I just think it’s a reach.”

The full article can be read here.

JAY-Z + Beyoncé’s Tiffany’s Ad Left Basquiat’s Friend ‘Horrified’

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Music moguls JAY-Z and Beyoncé might have made waves with their new About Love Tiffany & Co. campaign – however – the brand’s decision to have them pose with iconic late artist Jean-Michel Basquiat‘s Equals Pi artwork has left some close associates upset. JAY-Z + Beyoncé’s Tiffany & Co. Ad Controversy According to one of […]

Beyonce And Jay-Z Display A Never-Before-Seen Basquiat Painting In Their New Tiffany & Co. Ad

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Over the years, Beyonce and Jay-Z have come to represent a standard of luxury for a generation of music fans. Likewise, the long-established jeweler Tiffany & Co. has also represented class and elegance at a high level, so it only makes sense for the brand to tap into The Carters’ cachet as it markets its product to that younger generation. The only thing that would improve such an idea would be some kind of expensive, ridiculous rare art piece — what’s that, you say? A never-before-seen painting of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s? Yeah, that’ll do the trick.

Alexandre Arnault, Tiffany’s executive VP of products and communications, told WWD that the painting, the 1982 “Equals Pi,” is “a way to modernize Tiffany blue.” He elaborated that while the inspiration of the painting isn’t quite ironclad, the choice of the iconic shade was likely intentional. “We don’t have any literature that says he made the painting for Tiffany,” he said.

“But we know a little bit about Basquiat. We know his family. We did an exhibition of his work at the Louis Vuitton Foundation a few years back. We know he loved New York, and that he loved luxury and he loved jewelry. My guess is that the [blue painting] is not by chance. The color is so specific that it has to be some kind of homage. As you can see, there is zero Tiffany blue in the campaign other than the painting. It’s a way to modernize Tiffany blue.”

MASON POOLE FOR TIFFANY & CO.

The campaign marks the first time the company’s signature Tiffany Diamond (worn by Beyonce) appears in such marketing materials, making Beyonce only the fourth woman to wear it after Mary Whitehouse, Audrey Hepburn, and Lady Gaga. A short film accompanying the ad sees Beyonce singing the theme song from the 1961 film Breakfast At Tiffany’s to Jay as he films her with a Super 8 camera.

For more about the campaign, you can read WWD’s feature here.