Abstract Graffiti is the brainchild of Jean-Michel Basquiat (Born 1960) who’s a Painter and an Artist. In the 1980s, he was a Neo-Expressionist painter. He’s best known for his collaboration with Warhol Andy (pop artist) and for his primitive style. Basquiat was born in Brooklyn, New York. He first attracted attention of the public in New York City through his graffiti under the name "SAMO". Before his painting career took off, Basquiat sold postcards and sweatshirts featuring his artwork on the streets. He did this under collaboration with Warhol Andy in the mid-1980s. This resulted in a show of their work which earned much acclaim. His father was a Haitian-American while his mother was Puerto Rican. The diverse cultural heritage was among his many sources of inspiration.
He began drawing on sheets of paper at an early age and his father, who was an accountant by profession, brought home so many pieces of paper from work. As the artist delved deeper into his creative side, his talent was discovered by his mother who strongly encouraged his to pursue art as a career. In the late 1970s, he tagged Manhattan buildings and subway trains with cryptic aphorisms. And in 1977, he dropped out of high school just one year shy of his graduation date. As his popularity increased, so did his personal problems. At around 20 years of age, his friends became so much concerned by his excessive use of drugs. He isolated himself from the world around him for long periods of time and became paranoid. He died of a drug overdose in 1988.
