The Bishop Gallery in Brooklyn will host a landmark exhibition titled "Our Friend, Jean: Early Works of Jean-Michel Basquiat" during New York Art Week this May. The show features rare early pieces and intimate photographs from the collection of Alexis Adler, who lived with Basquiat between 1979 and 1980. The exhibition focuses on the artist's formative years, showcasing works created on unconventional surfaces like doors and furniture before his rise to global stardom.
This exhibition is significant because it provides a raw, personal look at Basquiat’s transition from the graffiti duo SAMO to a studio artist, bypassing the high-stakes auction mythology that usually surrounds his name. It also marks the launch of the Bishop Arts & Research Center (BARC), a new initiative dedicated to cultural preservation, offering the public access to primary historical records that have recently been recognized by institutions like the Smithsonian.