I have asked the question whether we have become the person that would make our younger selves proud. I was prompted, in part, by the wonderful, once in a lifetime exhibition “King Pleasure“, the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat, lovingly presented by his surviving family. “King Pleasure” was not just your usual art exhibition, think paintings on plain white walls, but recreations of the family living room, his art studio, and night clubs he made art for and hung out at. The memories it invoked hit me like a ton of bricks. I was thrilled and on the verge of tears throughout whole time I was there. There was music and movie videos playing all at once, things that Jean-Michel himself listened to. Things that I listened to. I found myself singing along to the songs and stopping to watch the movies. Jean-Michel was a product of his time, as am I.
Imagine NYC in the 80’s. It was a different time, way different than today. The city has been experiencing massive gentrification throughout many, if not most, of its neighborhoods. Rents are truly out of control. I was a high school student during the 80’s. And while by many metrics the city was a rough place back then, I really felt it was my oyster, I loved my city. In spite of its many brittle edges in the past, the city held great memories for me, they shaped me as I came of age. This was the time of Donald Trump and conspicuous consumption, Wall Street greed, Reaganomics, the AIDS crisis, and crack cocaine. While those things were depressing and cast a shadow on everything, the flip side were cool night clubs that became incubators for emerging artists, a new style of music called Hip Hop, mind blowing graffiti art, and a up and coming music artist named Madonna, just to name a few. The city’s brittleness gave way and shaped to form some of the most iconic creations in American culture we now take for granted.
I came to live with my mom and sis in the Bronx after living with my aunt in Jersey City. I always felt like a New Yorker though. I was born in NY, Presbyterian Hospital, all my family lived in the city, and I was ALWAYS in the city. I can navigate my way around NY a lot better than Jersey, I had a lot more practice even as a child. I was around 12 when I came to the Bronx, which made my sister around 9. My mom worked during the day, so that left me and sis to fend for ourselves, especially in the summer. Let me tell you, we were fine. We walked to the Bronx Zoo, stopped to get White Castle along the way, went to one of the many movie theaters that existed at the time, not to mention did the laundry, roam the streets with our friends, and played in the parks, all by ourselves. I was older, so I was in charge. You know what? I did an AMAZING job! We were kept safe by using our instincts, working as a team, and having the understanding that if we stayed out of trouble, we’d be able to keep our freedom. I cherish that time. I realized that I was pretty smart girl who understood the world around me. I had no choice but to trust myself.
When I got older and was attending high school, the High School of Fashion Industries, I roamed the same rough downtown streets that Jean-Michel did, using my instincts that I had honed years earlier. I never felt unsafe. Funny thing, those same rough streets are now posh with extremely pricey apartments and condos. Knowing what I know about those streets past, I would have never saw it coming…The exhibition reminded me how the influence of others, others like I’ve stated before, that should’ve loved and cherished me, made me feel wanted, nearly destroyed my trust in myself. I’d already proven that I was good, no, that I was great. Jean-Michel’s life reminded me, through art, video, and song, that the young girl with sharp instincts was alive and well and still dancing and singing to “99 Luftballoons”.
Thank you Jean-Michel.
Until next time,
Jos