Gray shades of basquiat biography death

Jean-Michel Basquiat, an artist whose roots in graffiti made his work stand out among others, left a legacy of stunning paintings. But his sudden popularity in his 20s caused him to spiral into a drug habit that eventually cost him his life. His death, says the BBC , cemented his status as an art world rockstar. Basquiat first found fame as a graffiti artist.

Soon, he was selling paintings and gaining fame. But by the time he was 27, he'd developed a dependence on heroin and he died of a drug overdose in Even before his overdose, Basquiat already dealt with tragedy.

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At a young age, Basquiat was hit by a car and had to get his spleen removed, The New York Times reports. His parents' marriage broke down when he was seven and his mother suffered from depression. Basquiat moved in with his father in Brooklyn and eventually to Puerto Rico, but struggled with an abusive parental relationship. He ran away from home at 15, living in Washington Square Park.

There, he began doing drugs like LSD. To support himself, he began painting shirts, which then led to his graffiti and art career.

Basquiat death scene

His sudden fame at 20 thrust Basquiat into a different world, including the Studio 54 set and its wild parties, led by Andy Warhol. Warhol died in which left Basquiat adrift. In a bid to withdraw from heroin, he went to Maui, where he would have no access to the drug. But he ultimately fell off the wagon.