Jean-Michel Basquiat

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/jean-michel-basquiat

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Jean-Michel Basquiat born?December 22, 1960
2. Where was Jean-Michel Basquiat born?Brooklyn, New York, USA
3. When did Jean-Michel Basquiat die?August 12, 1988 (age 27)
4. What is the artistic movement?Neo-expressionism
5. What is the early artistic endeavor?Co-founder of the graffiti duo SAMO
6. What was Jean‑Michel Basquiat's first art project?He started with the SAMO graffiti project, writing poetic messages on buildings and subway cars in Manhattan.

Neo-expressionism: A post-1970s art movement characterized by intense subjective emotion and a return to figurative and symbolic imagery.
SAMO©: The pseudonymous graffiti project by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Al Diaz, known for its poetic and philosophical street writings.
Appropriation: The use of pre-existing objects or images with little or no transformation applied to them, often in a new context.
Social Commentary: The act of expressing opinions on the structure and workings of society, often through art or writing, to critique or advocate for change.