Jean-Michel Basquiat

Basquiat executed this one line poem circa 1982 while living with a noted Gray bandmate.

• Single page removed from notebook.
• The line reads: "SOME BORING HARBOR / CAMERAS MILD SUSPENCE."
• Ink on paper.
• Obtained directly from a prominent Basquiat Gray band member whose typewritten prose appears on the reverse.
• Accompanied by a signed letter of provenance from the aforementioned.

Here, Basquiat begins to play with the idea of beginning a screenplay, with the work’s empty space and liner notes leaving us to surreally fill in the blanks. The work further echoes Basquiat’s one-line street poems during his (earlier) SAMO period and famed notebook entries, not to mention his interest in beat poetry and fragmented prose scenarios mirroring the style and influence of William S. Burroughs. During the very early part of his career, Basquiat also experimented with screenwriting.

The work was obtained directly from the aforementioned Gray bandmate and is accompanied by a signed letter of provenance.