Zenith (Basquiat and Warhol) explained

Zenith
Artist:	Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol
Year:	1985
Medium:	Acrylic on canvas
Movement:	Neo-expressionism and pop art
Height Metric:	297
Length Metric:	673
Museum:	Private collection

Zenith is a painting created by American artists Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol in 1985. It sold for $11.4 million at Phillips in May 2014, the highest price paid at auction for a Warhol-Basquiat collaboration.

History

Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat were formally introduced by art dealer Bruno Bischofberger in October 1982. They became creative partners and their prolific friendship defined the 1980s New York art scene.^[1] Artist Ronnie Cutrone, and assistant to Warhol, said: "It was like some crazy art-world marriage and they were the odd couple. The relationship was symbiotic. Jean-Michel thought he needed Andy’s fame and Andy thought he needed Jean-Michel’s new blood. Jean-Michel gave Andy a rebellious image."^[2]

From 1984 to 1985, Warhol and Basquiat created a series of large paintings together. Their collaborations ended after their joint exhibition, Paintings, at the Tony Shafrazi Gallery drew poor reviews in September 1985.^{[3] [4]} Their collaborative works merged their two styles. Warhol would start by painting a commercial image and then Basquiat would add his own flare. Describing the process, Basquiat said: "He would put something very concrete or recognizable, like a newspaper headline or a product logo, and I would sort of deface it, and then I would try to get him to work some more on it, and then I would work more on it."^[5] Zenith is titled after electronics company Zenith, whose red logo is centered on the canvas. It sold for $11.4 million at the Phillips Contemporary Art Evening Sale in May 2014, becoming the most expensive painting from their collaborations sold at auction.^{[6] [7]}

Exhibitions

Zenith has been exhibited at the following art institutions:

• Warhol-Basquiat: Collaborations at Didier Imbert Fine Art in Paris, September 29–November 25, 1989.^[8]
• Collaborations – Warhol/Basquiat/Clemente at Fridericianum in Kassel, Germany, February–May 1996; Villa Stuck in Munich, Germany, July–September 1996; Museo d'Arte Contemporanea, Castello di Rivoli, in Italy, October 1996–January 1997.
• Andy Warhol: A Factory at Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg in Wolfsburg, October 1998–January 1999; Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, May1999–September 1999); Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, October 1999–April 2000.
• Warhol, Basquiat, Clemente: Obras En Colaboracion at Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, Italy, February–April 2002.
• The Andy Warhol Show at Fondazione La Triennale di Milano in Italy, September 2004–January 2005.
• Skulls at Galerie Bruno Bischofberger in Zurich, December 2005–February 2006.

See also

• List of paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat
• 1985 in art

References

1. Vanderhoof. Erin. July 31, 2019. Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and the Friendship That Defined the Art World in 1980s New York City. 2021-01-14. Vanity Fair. en-us.
2. Web site: Faughnan. Ally. May 28, 2019. The best, worst, and weirdest parts of Warhol and Basquiat's friendship. 2021-01-13. Dazed. en.
3. News: Raynor. Vivien. September 20, 1985. Art: Basquiat, Warhol. en-US. The New York Times. 2021-01-14. 0362-4331.
4. News: Wines. Michael. August 27, 1988. Jean Michel Basquiat: Hazards Of Sudden Success and Fame. en-US. The New York Times. 2021-01-14. 0362-4331.
5. Book: Basquiat, Jean-Michel. Basquiat-isms. Princeton University Press. 2019. 978-0-691-19283-3. 39. en.
6. Web site: Boucher. Brian. May 24, 2016. Elton John Sends Warhol/Basquiat to Sotheby's. 2021-01-13. artnet News. en-US.
7. Web site: Kinsella. Eileen. May 15, 2014. Rothko and Koons Shine At Phillips Sale. 2021-01-14. artnet News. en-US.
8. Web site: Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol - Zenith, 1985. 2021-01-14. Phillips. en.