Art
A poet, musician, and graffiti prodigy in late-1970s New York, Jean-Michel Basquiat had honed his signature painting style of obsessive scribbling, elusive symbols and diagrams, and mask-and-skull imagery by the time he was 20. “I don’t think about art while I work,” he once said. “I think about life.” Basquiat drew his subjects from his own Caribbean heritage—his father was Haitian and his mother of Puerto Rican descent—and a convergence of African-American, African, and Aztec cultural histories with Classical themes and contemporary heroes like athletes and musicians.
Horn Players
In Horn Players, Basquiat pays homage to two of the great jazz players: Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. To the left is a half length portrait of Parker and his saxophone, and to the right is a portrait of Gillespie and his trumpet. Jazz music was a common theme in Basquiat’s art, as he himself was a musician and a jazz fan and often painted to jazz music. It can also be said that his particular style of painting was similar to the improvisational quality of jazz.
Banksy
A world-renowned mystery man, Banksy has risen through the ranks to become one of the world’s greatest street artists partly by creating an urgency and desire to understand and unveil his character. Street art fanatics are consistently impressed by the far-reaching scope, variety, and bravery of every artwork he delivers, but are always left wanting more. This tactic encourages viewers to explore a completely new perspective or idea, often inspiring both amateur and professional artists. This inspiration is also known as the “Banksy Effect.”
A British art dealer says he has bought a mural stenciled by street artist Banksy on a garage wall in Wales for more than 100,000 pounds (US$129,000).
The artwork in Port Talbot shows a child playing in falling ash from a dumpster fire, an apparent reference to the steel town's air pollution.
(courtesy of street art bio)
Fashion
Nike Dunk
The second most-popular shoe to debut in 1985—after the Jordan I—the Dunk was never intended as a flagship model. Instead, it was a college-centric basketball shoe. Designed for NCAA athletes (and their respective fans), the Dunk was an attempt to capitalize on the collegiate leagues' growing appeal. But, despite playing second fiddle to one of the most successful Nike sneakers of all time, the shoe took on a life all its own, quickly diverging from its intended audience and finding new life in a variety of subcultures. From there, the shoe faded in and out of public consciousness, never quite hitting fever pitch but always making waves.
(courtesy of grailed)
