Jean-Michel Basquiat

“I had some money, I made the best paintings ever. I was completely reclusive, worked a lot, took a lot of drugs. I was awful to people.”

– Jean-Michel Basquiat

There are artists you have heard of, but you do not recognise their work.

There are artists where you recognise the work, but have not heard of. This is Basquiat.

We sleep in. The blackout curtains are powerful enough to block the determined, 24 hour, gigantic Apple screen.

A quick walk to Analog Garden for some breakfast and coffee.

Eating places can be hit or miss. You never really know what you are going to get that first time. Analog looks great, 70s furniture, mismatched pot plants, a huge Inkel speaker from the 60s, and a hulking coffee machine.

Only two items for breakfast the eggs. No piccolos, only flat whites.

The tunes are on point, and so is the coffee and food.

It starts to rain. I might never leave Korea.

“There are those who love to get dirty and fix things. They drink coffee at dawn, beer after work.”

– Gary Snyder

We jump on the Seoul Metro Subway. It is only a few hundred meters to Station 239, Hongik University. Twenty minutes later, we arrive at Station 205, Dongdaemun History & Culture Park.

The Dongdaemun Museum is worth a visit just for the architecture of the building. Today, we are here for the Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibition, Signs: Connecting Past and Future.

Basquiat is everything I love in an artist – dark, addicted, angry. He died of a heroin overdose in 1988. He was 27 years old.

There are over 75 pieces of Basquiat on display, and some pages from some of his personal notepads. The notepad excerpts feel invasive, even exploitive, but it does give you an insight into his rare genius.

When we finished the exhibition, Shell asked which was my favourite, and I told her the 1981 self portrait. She laughed. As soon as she saw it, she knew it was my favourite.

It is the first image below.

“I don’t listen to what art critics say. I don’t know anybody who needs a critic to find out what art is.”

– Jean-Michel Basquiat

It has been raining all day.

As it starts to clear, we head back to Analog for some lunch.

Without our umbrellas.

Lunch is as good as breakfast. Pulled pork on ciabatta rolls.

The rain pours down. We read our books, hoping that it will clear.

I check the forecast for tomorrow. Rain. All day. It will be a wonderful ride back to Songdo.

Dinner at Hangon Gan. A tiny Korean establishment that barely squeezes in 16 patrons.

Lamb pancakes, fried garlic chicken, dumplings, and BBQ chicken washed down with many beers.

One of the most memorable meals I have had.

We stroll home in the clearing weather, and I am hopeful the rain might be clearing.

Shell suggests we ride home tonight. I think she is joking, but she isn’t. The last thing I want to do is ride 50 km in the dark, drunk.

Home and bed.