Miller wonders about a rumor hes heard, that when he. The radiant child right now, here are some specifics about the fortissimo film sales documentary. Tamra davis brings the tragic art star of the 1980s back to life in a documentary debuting this week. In 2006 the equality forum featured jeanmichel basquiat during lgbt history month. It is a french film, but this causes few problems for an english speaker who does not speak french. I had heard of the films before but somehow, because i didnt know much about. The trailer is an animated, visual interpretation of an interview with jean. Sep 17, 2010 the film trailer for julian schnabels 1996 biopic, basquiat, ended with the observation. Written by sundance film festival basquiat, the radiant child basquiat, the radiant child. But what the radiant child lacks in investigative rigor, it compensates for with intimacy, talking to friends and associates who help explain basquiats brief life and brilliant, truncated career. It places basquiats art in a cultural context with an enthusiasm and zest that make the many pictures shown come. This film gives background information that is not immediately accessible elsewhere. In the film they talked about the way he lived his life as a kid, the start of him being an artist, and how he was fascinating with his work until his death.
The radiant child is a 2010 documentary film about jean michel basquiat. This is my entry for j in the blogging a to z challenge. The radiant child, is a tender ode from one friend to another, but its also another wheel in the hype machine that persists around the. The radiant child is a 2010, feature length documentary film about jeanmichel basquiat, based on the footage of a rare interview, which director, and basquiats friend, tamra davis took when they met in 1985, and interviews with people close to the artist, including julian schnabel, bruno bischofbrger and thurston moore, among many others. Tamra daviss lively new documentary, jeanmichel basquiat. It gave me the same feeling i felt when i saw dogtown and z boys for the first time and, like that film, i will watch jean michel basquiat. It would be absurd to say that any one book or film could present the true basquiat, but in attempting to rescue basquiat from other peoples labels, the film also applies its own radiant genius child label to him. With jean michel basquiat, julian schnabel, larry gagosian, bruno bischofberger. In his short career, jeanmichel basquiat was a phenomenon. Now, before we get into the various whats and wheres of how you can watch jeanmichel basquiat. Jeanmichel basquiat the radiant child, 1981 in the eighties, basquiat emerged as an graffiti artist who evolved into a major influence in the art world.
Director tamra davis pays homage to her friend in this definitive documentary but also delves into basquiat as an iconoclast. The radiant child documentary was shown at the 2006 sundance, while the featurelength movie, including the above mentioned interviews, came out in 2010. Newhall under construction newhall under construction. From his early, cryptic street art to his meteoric rise to prominence in the new york art world, basquiat exhibited genius. The radiant child is a respectfully vivid, accurate, and entertaining homage to a painter who led a radical life and left an ambitious body of work behind after his premature death. The movie was a very objective documentary of basquiats life and work. Davis lets her interview subjects references to basquiats darker, selfish sides speak for themselves without digging too deeply. See any number of docs with fauxweighty facts delivered via powerpointstyle wipes its more of. Im not sure if that was the goal of the film, probably not, but i like that i was given enough imagery and content either way to allow me to focus on what i wished to, and value how id like. He became notorious for his graffiti art under the moniker samo in the late 1970s on the lower east. The story, written by rene ricardlargely credited for discovering basquiat was called the radiant child, and it was the first major piece on the young artist. Tamra daviss portrait of elusive artist at film forum. Apr 12, 2011 centered on a rare interview that director and friend tamra davis shot with jeanmichel basquiat more than 20 years ago, this film chronicles the meteoric rise and fall of the young artist. The film also explores basquiats rise in the art world, which led to a close relationship with andy warhol, and looks at how the young painter coped with acclaim, scrutiny.
The film is also full of music, as was basquiats life. Radiant child by javaka steptoe, a book about artist jeanmichel basquiat, was awarded the caldecott medal as the most distinguished picture book for children earlier this year. Feb 22, 2010 trailer of the new documentary jeanmichel basquiat. The film did nothing to help me understand his art or help me to appreciate it more, or warhols art, who is an accessory to baquiat in this film. Jul 19, 2010 yet the films salvation effort feels ironic. See any number of docs with fauxweighty facts delivered via powerpointstyle wipes its more of a unique quality than youd think.
Director tamra davis pays homage to her friend, the iconoclastic artist jeanmichel basquiat in this examination of a brilliant life cut short. Jeanmichel basquiat december 22, 1960 august 12, 1988 was an american artist, musician, poet, and producer. What was excellent about this movie is that it included basquiat himself and those who. The radiant child has a wellrounded appeal for art house crowds and, once on dvd, will be a fine complement to the 1996 julian schnabel biopic. The best thing about the film is that it shows how empty success can be. The first, 20minute version of jeanmichel basquiat. It is based on footage which director tamra davis took when they met in 1985.
Title card lettering drops in, character by character, in synchronization with. The film also explores basquiats rise in the art world, which led to a close relationship with andy warhol, and looks at how the young painter. Monica film center santa monica monica film center santa monica. Both films make me feel a profound feeling of identity. The featurelength documentary includes interviews with people close to basquiat. Nearly 30 years after his death, this documentary film of jeanmichel basquiat details how the selftaught brooklynborn artist rose to be one of the greats on the.
Jul 21, 2010 a thoughtful portrait of a renowned artist, this documentary shines the spotlight on new york city painter jeanmichel basquiat. The radiant child, directed by tamra davis, was first screened as part of the 2010 sundance film festival and was shown on the pbs series independent lens in 2011. Much can be gleaned from insider interviews and archival footage, but it is basquiats own words and work that powerfully convey the mystique and allure of both the artist and the man. Subscribe i do not own the rights to this movie jus wanted to uploadenjoy. Jean michel basquiat documentary the radiant child youtube. This is not to say that the radiant child isnt a valuable film. His dense, bebopinfluenced neoexpressionist work emerged while minimalist, conceptual art was the fad.
A marvelous touch basquiat working on some largescale canvases in his studio the radiant child. The films title is derived from a wellknown article published in artforum magazine back in 1981. The radiant child, does the right thing by helping us to answer these questions for ourselves. This film also features the body of the artists work along with interviews with julian schnabel, larry gagosian, bruno bischofberger, tony shafrazi, fab 5 freddy, jeffrey deitch, glenn obrien, maripol, kai eric, nicholas taylor. The radiant child immediately exhibit this documentarys sense of clever, deliberate layering of visual and audio components. First feature length documentary biography of artist jeanmichel basquiat who is often considered one of the greatest american painters in the last half of the 20th century and one of the greatest africanamerican artists.
The film opens with 1986 footage of basquiat being interviewed in a hotel room by friends becky johnston and director tamra davis. The radiant child photos view all photos 1 movie info. The radiant child and a few days later, out of curiosity, julian schnabels feature film, basquiat. Jul 24, 2010 radiant child a rare insight into basquiats mind director tamra davis chronicles the rise and fall of her friend jeanmichel basquiat, the young rock star artist who died of a heroin overdose. The film is more about basquiat s social life or lack thereof. The radiant child might make you weep it did me and might help you better appreciate a painter whose work matters enormously in the history of. This footage, particularly an unguarded 1985 interview with the 25yearold phenom, is at the core of daviss deeply felt profile, jeanmichel basquiat. A few minutes later, the documentary jeanmichel basquiat. Centered on a rare interview that director and friend tamra davis shot with jeanmichel basquiat more than 20 years ago, this film chronicles the meteoric rise and fall of the young artist.
Directed by tamra davis, the documentary features neverbefore seen footage of the prolific artist painting, talking about. The radiant child, opened in new york city last week, and will travel to a few cities over the next 4 months. The radiant child offers a little more of this same interview. Jeanmichel basquiat a couple of weeks ago i had the extreme pleasure of watching tamra davis documentary, jeanmichel basquiat.
The radiant child made me appreciate the art more than the artist. The radiant child synopsis favorite theater button. The film is also full of music, as was basquiat s life. No one wants to be part of a generation that ignores another van gogh. Centered on a rare interview that director and friend tamra davis shot with jean michel basquiat more than 20 years ago, this film chronicles the meteoric rise. The film also explores basquiat s rise in the art world, which led to a close. The first version was a 20minute film which was shown at the 2006 sundance film festival. The movie had considerable hype coming out of the 2010 sundance film festival, but that buzz escalated to a. I kept thinking throughout the film grow up already. Tamra daviss portrait of elusive artist at film forum the. Directed by tamra davis, the documentary features footage of jeanmichel basquiat painting, talking about his art and existing in the two years prior to his death in 1988. The documentary mixes daviss basquiat interviews with contemporary talking. This is a teaser trailer created to promote the soon to be released documented film based on jeanmichel basquiat. He became notorious for his graffiti art under the.
Centered on a rare interview that director and friend tamra davis shot with jeanmichel basquiat over twenty years ago, this definitive documentary chronicles the meteoric rise and fall of the graffiti artist turned internationally renowned painter. Much can be gleaned from insider interviews and archival footage, but it is basquiat s own words and work that powerfully convey the mystique and allure of both the artist and the man. Much can be gleaned from insider interviews and archival footage, but it is basquiats own words and work that powerfully convey the mystique and. Both films superbly capture a time, place and culture. The radiant child is a 2010 documentary film about jeanmichel basquiat. Tamra daviss riveting and profoundly moving film available on dvd and digital on november 9 a profoundly moving testament to an artist and to the gritty new york of the early. It is a great insight into the other side of the immortal artist. He infused his work with an intentional childishness that contrasted sharply with his catalog of intellectual, anatomical, sociopolitical, historical, and graphic. Jul 21, 2010 this is not to say that the radiant child isnt a valuable film. Featuring extensive interviews conducted by basquiat s friend, filmmaker tamra davis, the production reveals how he dealt with being a black artist in a predominantly white field. A thoughtful portrait of a renowned artist, this documentary shines the spotlight on new york city painter jeanmichel basquiat. The film is centered on a rare interview that director and friend tamra davis shot with basquiat over twenty years ago. It is based on footage which director tamra davis took when.