Basquiat Bearbrick 400% Vinyl Figures Set of 2:
A unique Basquiat Bearbrick statue set trademarked & licensed by the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. The partnered collectibles reveal licensed original iconic 1980s Basquiat imagery wrapping the figures in their entirety. Each new & housed in a unique Basquiat collector's box.
Medium: Vinyl Figures. Year: 2020.
Each of the 2 contains a set of two figurines.
Each larger figure measures 11 x 5 inches, respectively.
Condition: Each new in original packaging. Smooth surface; bright lush colors.
Published by Medicom from a sold out limited series of unknown. Estate trademark present on each box & the underside of feet.
Please note exact patterns may vary.
Further Background:
BE@RBRICKs are a form of collectible toy that resemble a cross between LEGO and well, a bear. These block-style figurines boast teddy bear-style heads that have become an integral pillar of the collectible toy scene. In fact, it wouldn’t be so far-fetched to say that it almost single-handedly carved out the fad of toy collecting in modern times, treading the very fine line between toy and art. Since its inception, BE@RBRICKs have become one of the most recognizable characters in the world, and some of the most sought after.
Basquiat Cabra (1981-82):
"At first glance, it is the striking crimson hue of Cabra that sets this painting apart from other works by Basquiat. However, upon closer inspection, the brilliant mind of this contemporary artist comes into full view. Executed at a time when Basquiat was exploring his Haitian and Puerto Rican roots, and becoming increasingly interested in the power and scrutiny of black athletes, the present work belongs to a group of paintings inspired by boxing icons including Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Jersey Joe Walcott and others. Cabra is unique in its articulation of a historic evening in 1970 when Muhammad Ali – the greatest of all time – knocked out revered heavy-weight fighter Oscar Bonavena, also known as 'The Bull'. The iconic boxing ring, the hieroglyphic 'TKO' 3 above the bull's skull and, finally, the clever play on words – Cabra is Spanish for 'goat' or GOAT, shorthand for the Greatest of All Time, Muhammad Ali – all add to this physiologically searing and visually-moving painting of one of Basquiat's long-time heroes." (source: Sotheby's)
Jean-Michel Basquiat was an influential African-American artist who rose to success during the 1980s. Basquiat’s paintings are largely responsible for elevating graffiti artists into the realm of the New York gallery scene. His spray-painted crowns and scribbled words referenced everything from his Haitian and Puerto Rican heritage, to political issues, pop-culture icons, and Biblical verse. The gestural marks and expressive nature of his work not only aligned him with the street art of Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf, but also the Neo-Expressionists Julian Schnabel and David Salle. “If you wanna talk about influence, man, then you've got to realize that influence is not influence,” he said of his process. “It's simply someone's idea going through my new mind.” Born on December 22, 1960 in Brooklyn, NY, Basquiat never finished high school but developed an appreciation for art as a youth, from his many visits to the Brooklyn Museum of Art with his mother. His early work consisted of spray painting buildings and trains in downtown New York alongside his friend Al Diaz. The artist’s tag was the now infamous pseudonym SAMO. After quickly rising to fame in the early 1980s, Basquiat was befriended by many celebrities and artists, including Andy Warhol, with whom he made several collaborative works. At only 27, his troubles with fame and drug addiction led to his tragic death from a heroin overdose on August 12, 1988 in New York, NY. The Whitney Museum of American Art held the artist’s first retrospective from October 1992 to February 1993. In 2017, after having set Basquiat’s auction record the previous year with a $57.3 million purchase, the Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa surpassed it, buying the artist’s Untitled (1982) at Sotheby's for $110.5 million. This set a new record for the highest price ever paid at auction for an American artist's work. Today, Basquiat's works are held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Rubell Family Collection in Miami, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, among others.
