The Restless Beauty Within Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Art

In a colorful TED-Ed lesson written by Jordana Moore Saggese and animated by Héloïse Dorsan Rachet, narrator Dr. Christina Greer tells of legendary Brooklyn artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. The video specifically talks about Basquiat’s artistry in childhood, his fondness of the human body, his fascination with history and the restless, chaotic, brilliantly connected beauty that was present in each of his iconic works.

Like Beat writers who composed their work by shredding and reassembling scraps of writing, artist Jean-Michel Basquiat used similar techniques to remix his materials. Pulling in splintered anatomy, reimagined historical scenes and skulls, he repurposed present-day experiences and art history into an inventive visual language. Jordana Moore Saggese explores the chaotic and prolific art of Basquiat.