Under Foundation Louis Vuitton’s spotlight: A collaboration between Basquiat and Warhol, two of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century
The Foundation Louis Vuitton: an epicenter of culture
Inaugurated in October 2014 by the LVMH group, the Foundation Louis Vuitton is one of Paris’s most notable art dedicated buildings. Located in the bois de Boulogne, next to the Jardin d’Acclimatation on the west side of Paris, it is committed to make culture accessible to all, by staging exhibitions and various cultural events such as concerts, conferences, or film screenings.
It was designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry — who did the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao — as a sort of vessel symbolizing «France’s profound cultural vocation», said Gehry. Placed on a water basin and benefiting from a mirror effect, the foundation fits in its natural environment. «To reflect our constantly changing world, we wanted to create a building that would evolve according to the time and the light in order to give the impression of something ephemeral and continually changing», explains the architect.
Basquiat x Warhol, Painting Four Hands: the latest exhibition
Aiming to promote the arts nationally and internationally, the Foundation Louis Vuitton hosts temporary exhibitions of contemporary artists, but also retrospective such as Inventing a new world: Charlotte Perriand. In 2018, it was American painter Jean-Michel Basquiat that the Foundation paid honor to, drawing more than seven hundred thousand visitors. Five years later, the Foundation is continuing its exploration of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s work revealing, this time, his collaboration with Andy Warhol.
From April 5th to August 28th, the Parisian foundation presents Basquiat x Warhol, Painting Four Hands, an exhaustive exhibition. Bringing together eighty paintings signed by the two artists, the exhibition is curated by a duo of Vienna-based art theorists and critics with the help of the foundation’s own curator, Mr Michelon.
Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol: the story of more than friendship
It’s through the gallerist and art dealer Bruno Bischofberger that Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol were first introduced in 1982. At that time, Basquiat had already held several exhibitions in America and in Europe and Warhol was slowly leaving a phase, sometimes considered as less inventive. Warhol was passionate about New York’s new artistic scene’s freedom of mixing genres and its openness to urban cultures. They became friends and began painting each other. Warhol did a portrait of Basquiat inspired by Michelangelo’s David, and Basquiat one of Warhol as his most famous banana.
«Almost two generations separated the artists, but their understanding was immediate», explains the curators. They soon began their first painting collaboration. Warhol would invite Basquiat to his studio — the Factory — and hand small paintings he had already worked on for Basquiat to revise them in his own style. Excited by the idea of collaboration between artists, their gallerist Mr Bischofberger then suggested they both worked with the Italian artist Francesco Clemente on a complete series of paintings. «Following the principle of a conversation: the canvases were transported from one studio to another, with each artist’s style remaining visible» explains the curators.
A fruitful and meaningful collaboration at Foundation Louis Vuitton
When the Factory moved locations, the duo stayed in the old studio and began painting together nearly every day. Their technique changed as they were not modifying each other’s art pieces but rather composing with four hands. Warhol painted on the walls, often starting by creating backgrounds and motifs that would then be used by Basquiat who was occupying the floor of their studio. «I think those paintings we’re doing together are better when you can’t tell who did which parts», wrote Warhol in his diary.
But the paintings created conjointly also tackled crucial subjects such as the integration of the African-American community, capitalism or the artistic process itself. The painting Taxi, 45th/Broadway, featuring a yellow cab driver refers to the everyday racist microaggressions that black people — including Basquiat — continually suffered from. In 6.99 the painting is covered with scars, a reflection of the surgical sutures both artists had on their body — due to an attack in 1968 for Warhol and a car accident in Basquiat’s case.
Foundation Louis Vuitton: an exhibition and an everlasting impression
From this collaboration, they created around 160 paintings including some of their largest canvases either ever completed. In spring 1985, Warhol told Bischofberger that they wanted to exhibit a selection of them at the Tony Shafrazi Gallery in Manhattan. As two of the most celebrated artists of the second half of the 20th century, they chose celebrity photographer Michael Halsband to take the exhibition poster’s photo. Evoking a boxing match, they arrived at the photo studio wearing gloves and shorts — whilst on most of them Warhol kept his signature look: a black turtleneck.
After the exhibition, which was panned cynically as a failure, the duo disconnected while leaving an everlasting mark on each other’s work. Shocked and desolated by the sudden death of Warhol in 1987, Basquiat created Gravestone, a triptych paying homage to the work of Warhol, by featuring elements of his famous Cross series (1981-1982). On the other hand, Warhol kept a painting in his reserve Physiological Diagram, a sort of collaboration waiting for Basquiat to add his own layer of unique creativity.
Foundation Louis Vuitton
8 Av. du Mahatma Gandhi, 75116 Paris, France.The Foundation Louis Vuitton, also known as Fondation d’entreprise Louis-Vuitton, is a cultural institution in France supported by the LVMH conglomerate and its affiliates. As part of LVMH’s efforts to advance art and culture, it is managed as a separate, nonprofit organization.
Anna Prudhomme
