(News Release)
Jean-Michel Basquiat: Now’s the Time opens
on Feb. 7; AGO offers extended public
hours
three Fridays in February
TORONTO—An overnight celebrity and art world superstar by age 20, Jean-Michel Basquiat
(1960-1988) became famous for his powerful paintings that referenced
the world around him—art
history, music, the urban environment and popular culture-—to explore
issues of race, identity and
social injustice.
His groundbreaking vision comes to Toronto this winter for the first
major exhibition
of his works in Canada. Opening on Feb. 7, 2015, at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) and running
to May 10, 2015, Jean-Michel
Basquiat: Now’s the Time will feature
over 80 artworks, primarily
large-scale paintings and works on paper, from museums and private
collections across North
America and Europe. Tickets go on sale on Jan. 23, 2015.
To celebrate the launch of this landmark exhibition, the AGO is
hosting an unprecedented event on
opening night. On Feb. 7 from 6 p.m. to midnight the AGO will open the doors to the city,
giving
away 3,000 FREE PASSES to Jean-Michel Basquiat: Now’s the Time, part of a special Public
Opening Party. The first 2,000 tickets were made available to 125
community organizations
working with youth across Toronto and were fully booked in less than a
week.
A draw for the remaining 1,000
tickets opens today to the public at ago.net, and winners’ names will be drawn
and they will be notified by email by Jan.
22, 2015. An all-ages event, the evening features DJs
spinning music from Basquiat’s era, remarks by AGO director and CEO
Matthew Teitelbaum and
Breaking the Cycle Break Battle, a break-dancing competition presented in partnership with UNITY
Charity showcasing the best break-dancers in the city. Ticket-holders
are also welcome to enjoy
the other exhibitions on display throughout the entire Gallery for the
evening. Bar service will be
available for guests 19+.
Timed-entry tickets for Jean-Michel
Basquiat: Now’s the Time are $16.50 for
youth ages 17 and
under, $21.50 for seniors and $25 for adults. Tickets are available
for purchase online at ago.net, in
person and over the phone. Admission is FREE for AGO members and for children five and under.
AGO members have access to an exclusive preview before the exhibition
opens to the public. More
information on the benefits of AGO membership can be found at
ago.net/general-membership.
To ensure that as many Torontonians and visitors to the city as
possible have a chance to
experience Jean-Michel
Basquiat: Now’s the Time, the AGO is
extending its Friday hours to 8:30
p.m. on Feb. 13, 20 and 27, 2015, instead of closing at its regular
time of 5:30 p.m.
Visitors can learn more about Basquiat in advance of the exhibition by
visiting basquiatnow.com,
where a Basquiat artwork is being featured each week alongside a
mini-art history lesson including
details about the work, biographical information and quotes by the
artist. Each artwork in focus
comes with a carefully curated playlist of songs chosen by a local
artist that was inspired by
Basquiat or his work. Visitors to the site can learn more about the
exhibition and share each
artwork via email, Facebook or Twitter. In addition, visitors who
share the cards on social media
can receive a discount code for 15 per cent off tickets to the
exhibition.
Guest curated by renowned Austrian art historian, curator and critic Dieter Buchhart, Jean-Michel
Basquiat: Now’s the Time aims to explore many of the artist’s reoccurring motifs and
preoccupations, including sampling and scratching, cartoons, saints
and heroes. A fashion-world
celebrity dubbed the “insider’s-outsider,” Basquiat worked with many
significant artists. Included in
the exhibition are four of Basquiat’s collaborations with his friend
and mentor Andy Warhol.
Highlights of the exhibition include:
• Irony of a Negro Policeman (1981),
a powerful critique of racial injustice, police brutality in
1980s New York and the incongruous position of black authority;
• Apples and Lemons (1985), a
collaborative work by Andy Warhol and Basquiat, whose
partnership was as prolific as it was innovative;
• The Death of Michael Stewart (1983),
a portrait of Basquiat’s friend, the graffiti artist
Michael Stewart, who was fatally beaten by NYC police; and
• Horn Players, (1983) a
large triptych that pays homage to Basquiat’s musical heroes Dizzy
Gillespie and Charlie Parker.
Jean-Michel Basquiat: Now’s the Time is organized by the AGO.
Lead Supporter: Hal Jackman
Foundation
Generously supported by: TD
Bank Canada | Robert Harding
Supported by the Government of Canada / Avec l’appui du gouvernement
du Canada.
ABOUT THE AGO
With a collection of more than 80,000 works of art, the Art Gallery of Ontario is among the
most
distinguished art museums in North America. From the vast body of
Group of Seven and signature
Canadian works to the African art gallery, from the cutting-edge
contemporary art to Peter Paul
Rubens’ masterpiece The
Massacre of The Innocents, the AGO offers an
incredible art experience
with each visit.
In 2002 Ken Thomson’s generous gift of 2,000 remarkable works of
Canadian and
European art inspired Transformation AGO, an innovative architectural
expansion by worldrenowned
architect Frank Gehry that in 2008 resulted in one of the most
critically acclaimed
architectural achievements in North America. Highlights include
Galleria Italia, a gleaming
showcase of wood and glass running the length of an entire city block,
and the often-photographed
spiral staircase, beckoning visitors to explore. The AGO has an active
membership program
offering great value, and the AGO’s Weston Family Learning Centre
offers engaging art and
creative programs for children, families, youth and adults. Visit
ago.net to find out more about
upcoming special exhibitions, to learn about eating and shopping at
the AGO, to register for
programs and to buy tickets or memberships.
Feb. 7 – May 10, 2015: Jean-Michel
Basquiat: Now’s the Time
April 11 – June 12, 2015: From
the Forest to the Sea: Emily Carr in British Columbia
June 20 – Sept. 7, 2015: Landscape
Painting in the Americas
The Art Gallery of Ontario is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry
of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
Additional operating support is received from the City of Toronto, the
Canada Council for the Arts
and generous contributions from AGO members, donors and private-sector
partners.
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