I really dig this Equals Pi painting by Basquiat. It was done in 1982, but has since had a resurgence with Tiffany’s, Jay-Z and Beyonce. But, in actuality, it is probably the first time it has been shown to “the public.” It has been in a private collector’s home since it was created.

The reason for the viewing is, Tiffany’s is launching their About Love campaign with Jay-Z and Beyonce standing in front of the painting, which is their trademark robin’s-egg blue.

Equals pi will eventually be displayed in Tiffany’s flagship boutique on Fifth Avenue, which is currently undergoing renovation. It will eventually   take over all of Times Square’s digital billboards which will let everyone know about the legend that is Basquiat, who tragically died too young.

Jay-Z is an art fan. He makes references to several artists in some of his raps, including Basquiat, who he is particularly inspired by. He was reported to have bought Basquiat’s 1982 “Mecca” painting for $4.5 million.

When Basquiat was asked who he makes his paintings for, he said “I was trying to make paintings different from the paintings that I saw a lot of at the time, which were mostly minimal and they were highbrow and alienating, and I wanted to make very direct paintings that most people would feel the emotion behind when they saw them.” 

#art, #artist, #arthistory, #basquiat, #tiffanys, #jayz, #beyonce