Rarely has the chasm between the art establishment and a young artist been more amply demonstrated that by a 1983 interview between NYU art history professor Dr. Marc H. Miller and Jean-Michel Basquiat that surfaced on YouTube recently. The interview was apparently conducted at Basquiat’s Soho studio, “shortly after Jean-Michel woke for the day,” and while Miller is clearly well-intentioned and fascinated by the artist’s work, the two clearly also have pretty much zero in common. This makes for an interview that’s frequently awkward (like when Miller asks, “[Were there] Haitian primitives on your wall [as a child]?”, and Basquiat replies, “You mean people?!”), but also fascinating, with plenty of insight into Basquiat’s childhood and his techniques. Watch the video after the jump.
[via Dangerous Minds]