Basquiat and the Bayou

This collection of paintings by the celebrated artist Jean-Michel Basquiat focuses on the deep psychological and spiritual terrain of the American South.

Born in Brooklyn to a Haitian father and Puerto-Rican mother, Jean-Michel Basquiat was deeply interested in Afro-Atlantic culture and he drew upon his heritage in many of his highly acclaimed paintings. This book looks closely—for the first time—at Basquiat’s southern-themed paintings. The paintings in this book are filled with references to the history and culture of the South, a place the artist visited sparingly. Insightful essays discuss the importance of Basquiat’s work in relation to a subject that occupied his attention throughout his career.