As a lover of Jazz music too (though perhaps nowhere near your own level in that respect!) - there are all kinds of things I want to reference here.
But I fear this comment would then become far too long. So instead, I just want to say that, as always, your passion and your way of writing about all of this is so engaging - it really is an absolute pleasure to read.
It baffles me that we haven’t talked about jazz. I’m fairly certain you told me you love jazz before but still. I’m almost offended you HAVEN’T made said references. But thank you, I always appreciate hearing from you :)
Honestly, if we get talking about Jazz as well as art, I feel like it could end up in conversation of many hours, even more songs, and lord knows how many paintings!!
But also this idea of painting music really fascinates me since I know the abstract painter Wassily Kandinsky also claimed he could literally "hear" the sounds of colours.
So I can't help wondering if it works the other way with some jazz musicians too - i.e are they "Seeing" notes / scat lyrics as if they were colours in the air in front of them.
Like, for example when Chet Baker sings something like "Almost Blue". To me, he genuinely seems to capture an atmosphere more than just sound and lyrics . . . it's actually like he's painting the whole room blue (Almost like the closest experience of seeing one of Picasso's Blue Period paintings . . . Though I know there is no direct link between the two)
So bringing that back Basquiat's work - I must admit, I actually never knew he had such a close affinity to Jazz music. But when looking at his work through that lens now, I can really see how his art can be experienced from a whole other angle.
I love all of this information Luka... as a jazz lover myself, I enjoyed the correlation to the artwork.
I do have a question though... did you mean to write that Beyonce posed with JayZ "dressed up as" Basquiat? Because she didn't pose with Basquiat, as far as I know. He died long before Beyonce was Beyonce, haha.
I probably should have better clarified but I specifically meant she’s posing WITH a Basquiat painting. AND Jay-Z dressed as Basquiat. When I’m home I’ll update it. Thanks for pointing that out, and for reading!
I'm going to have to read this a couple more times. It's so in depth and I know there is a lot in there that needs to sink in. He's probably my fave. I lived two blocks from Tomkins Square park around the time he died. The park still had cardboard boxes as homes for junkies. If someone offered me any painting from any time...I'd probably choose on of his. I call the style of my home 'surf jazz', so it would fit right in.
He’s definitely one of my all time favorites. I just find the more I learn about him, the more obsessed I become with his work. That’s both heartbreaking and incredible to think you were so close to Basquiat. I can’t imagine at all.
And I’m with you there! I wouldn’t hesitate at the chance to have one of his pieces to myself (but I’d want Dos Cabezas most of all).
I love the color of that piece...I'd have trouble deciding if you lined them all up...I might create a distraction 'look, aliens are landing' and then scoop them all up and run ;)
What a great article.
As a lover of Jazz music too (though perhaps nowhere near your own level in that respect!) - there are all kinds of things I want to reference here.
But I fear this comment would then become far too long. So instead, I just want to say that, as always, your passion and your way of writing about all of this is so engaging - it really is an absolute pleasure to read.
It baffles me that we haven’t talked about jazz. I’m fairly certain you told me you love jazz before but still. I’m almost offended you HAVEN’T made said references. But thank you, I always appreciate hearing from you :)
Honestly, if we get talking about Jazz as well as art, I feel like it could end up in conversation of many hours, even more songs, and lord knows how many paintings!!
But also this idea of painting music really fascinates me since I know the abstract painter Wassily Kandinsky also claimed he could literally "hear" the sounds of colours.
So I can't help wondering if it works the other way with some jazz musicians too - i.e are they "Seeing" notes / scat lyrics as if they were colours in the air in front of them.
Like, for example when Chet Baker sings something like "Almost Blue". To me, he genuinely seems to capture an atmosphere more than just sound and lyrics . . . it's actually like he's painting the whole room blue (Almost like the closest experience of seeing one of Picasso's Blue Period paintings . . . Though I know there is no direct link between the two)
So bringing that back Basquiat's work - I must admit, I actually never knew he had such a close affinity to Jazz music. But when looking at his work through that lens now, I can really see how his art can be experienced from a whole other angle.
This is enchanting! Also so thoroughly researched and I could feel how connected you are to the subject. I loved reading it, thank you for writing!!
Thank you! I guess you could say I’m attached to the subject haha
I love all of this information Luka... as a jazz lover myself, I enjoyed the correlation to the artwork.
I do have a question though... did you mean to write that Beyonce posed with JayZ "dressed up as" Basquiat? Because she didn't pose with Basquiat, as far as I know. He died long before Beyonce was Beyonce, haha.
I probably should have better clarified but I specifically meant she’s posing WITH a Basquiat painting. AND Jay-Z dressed as Basquiat. When I’m home I’ll update it. Thanks for pointing that out, and for reading!
ohhhhh, that makes way more sense now. Sorry! I just read it differently.
No don’t apologize! It helps me to see the gaps in my writing this way. No offense was taken at all :)
Speaking of music and art there's a portrait of Stravinsky by picasso that I like as well. Great piece!
I LOVE Stravinsky! So I’m gonna have to look that up!
I'm going to have to read this a couple more times. It's so in depth and I know there is a lot in there that needs to sink in. He's probably my fave. I lived two blocks from Tomkins Square park around the time he died. The park still had cardboard boxes as homes for junkies. If someone offered me any painting from any time...I'd probably choose on of his. I call the style of my home 'surf jazz', so it would fit right in.
He’s definitely one of my all time favorites. I just find the more I learn about him, the more obsessed I become with his work. That’s both heartbreaking and incredible to think you were so close to Basquiat. I can’t imagine at all.
And I’m with you there! I wouldn’t hesitate at the chance to have one of his pieces to myself (but I’d want Dos Cabezas most of all).
Also your home sounds amazing
I love the color of that piece...I'd have trouble deciding if you lined them all up...I might create a distraction 'look, aliens are landing' and then scoop them all up and run ;)
I would both fall for that trick, and fully support you in doing so haha
Forte - thanks for this insightful and inspiring article. 🎶🎶
Splendid! Felicitations :-)
This is so brilliant I think I would have to go back and forth to understand this because of how inspiring it is.