The Brant Foundation

New Jean-Michel Basquiat home activity! Click here to download. 

Jean-Michel Basquiat’s paintings of boxers are among his most personally and politically charged subjects. In the figure of the Black boxer, Basquiat found an alluring icon of self-made power, a hero for the modern era, an athletic champion who manages to triumph in a world where the odds were firmly stacked against him in the form of deep-seated racial prejudices. This was a heroic figure that Basquiat deeply identified with, as a young man possessed of powerful artistic talent, of Haitian and Puerto Rican heritage, going up against the predominantly white world of the art establishment.

As Basquiat famously declared in a 1983 interview, he defined the subject of his art as “Royalty, heroism and the streets” (quoted in H. Geldzahler, “Art: From the Subways to Soho, Jean-Michel Basquiat,” Interview, January 1983). The human figure quickly emerged as the central theme in Basquiat’s work, which he would use as a vehicle for melding autobiography with references to popular culture and Black history.

SHOP THE JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT COLLECTION

This Brant Design post focuses on the Donau Desk, a collaborative piece between designers Ettore Sottsass and Marco Zanini, and produced by Franz Leitner. Its sleek wooden body sits upon four vibrant pink metal legs, typical of Sottsass’s Memphis design style. With his background in industrial design and as the founder of the Memphis Group, the Donau Desk is exemplary of Sottsass’s attention to design history as well as the playfulness within his furniture and design objects. Hidden within its lustrous shell, the desk opens like a secretary or drop front desk exposing a series of compartments, shelves, and a writing surface.  Above the desk is Roy Lichtenstein’s iconic 1962 drawing for The Kiss.  

Art continues to be an important channel for us to reflect on and learn how we can better support past, present, and future voices that need to be heard. We continue to stand in solidarity with our communities and those fighting for social justice and racial equality.

Please visit our website to view a list of helpful resources for talking to children about race and racism.
Image: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Now’s the Time

We look back on the past week with a heavy heart and stand in solidarity with those fighting for racial equality. We pledge to support our communities and learn with our peers on new ways to make a difference.

Join us this Thursday at 12pm for a live stream yoga session! 

Instagram handle: @thebrantfoundation

Looking for a unique Mother’s Day gift? Visit The Brant Foundation’s online shop for ideas! View items here

Today we acknowledge a groundbreaking artist-Happy Birthday Keith Haring!

Image: Untitled (Dancing Dogs), 1981