ABOUT THE ARTISTS: According to the Brant Foundation, “Basquiat x Warhol, an exhibition of works from the artists’ influential collaboration in the early eighties. Curated by Dr. Dieter Buchhart and Peter M. Brant in collaboration with Dr. Anna Karina Hofbauer, this is the first time this iconic collaboration has been the subject of a major New York exhibition in over twenty-five years.

Basquiat and Warhol occupied two distinct spaces in New York’s 1980s art scene. After their formal introduction in 1982 at Warhol’s Factory, the two would meet regularly, working on multiple monumental canvases at once, resulting in over 160 collaborative works created in the short period of from late 1983 to 1985. This enthusiastic exchange of energy is exemplified in their paintings, which illustrate a back and forth that is both tense and complimentary. The paintings are rife with both artists’ unique iconographies: Warhol’s screen-printed advertisements and cultural symbols are effaced by Basquiat’s iconic figures and signs; newspaper headlines included by Warhol are obscured and rewritten by Basquiat; scenes painted in Basquiat’s conceptual Neo-Expressionist style are joined by Warhol’s precise appropriations of brand logos. The artists also influenced each other: Warhol at times returned to his painterly beginnings, and Basquiat increased his use of the silkscreen-printing technique.

“In their collaboration, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol came together and opened new ideas and spaces of thought that mirror both our present time as well as the past and future. The results are brilliant artworks that continue to have an impact in our own time as they appear to address pressing and highly relevant contemporary topics such as racism and consumerism. Their collaboration was a unique project and probably one of the greatest and most enduring in all of art history,” says Dr. Buchhart.”

CURATED TOUR: The private tour of this groundbreaking exhibition will be led by Contemporary Art Advisor, Aileen Agopian, and The Brant Foundation’s Docent, Mario Fasani.

About Aileen Agopian: Named by ARTnews as one of the top art advisors in America, Aileen Agopian formed AGOPIAN inc. as a full-service bespoke art advisory firm that helps seasoned and new collectors build art collections of Contemporary Art.  Prior to this, Agopian worked at Sotheby’s as the Senior International Director of Post-War & Contemporary Art as well as the Co-Head of Contemporary Art Auctions in Doha, Qatar. She was also the Director of Contemporary Art at Phillips and began her career as the sales director at White Cube Gallery London. As an accomplished auctioneer at both Sotheby’s and Phillips, Agopian continues to conduct charity auctions worldwide. Agopian has a Master’s degree in Post-War & Contemporary Art with Honors from Sotheby’s Institute London, and her B.A. in Art History & French Literature, cum laude from Tufts University.

COMMITTEE: Organized by Vicki Shoghag Hovanessian, Chair, Cultural Advisor to the Armenian Embassy in Washington, Seta Nalbandian, Co-Chair, Lucienne Aynilian, Anita Buchakjian, Christine Kutlu, Magda Poulos, Celeste Telfeyan Helvacian, Jennifer Telfeyan-LaRoe, Kathy Voskian

THE BRANT FOUNDATION: If you will be meeting us at the Brant Foundation, please meet at 5:30 PM, located at 421 E 6th St, New York, NY 10009.

TRANSPORTATION: If you will need transportation, please meet us at 4:30 PM (EST) at the Armenian Presbyterian Church (APC), located at 140 Forest Avenue, Paramus, NJ 07652. **The Bus will depart APC at 4:45 PM (EST) SHARP!

SHOES: We encourage you to wear comfortable shoes, as the tour runs approximately one hour.

DINNER: Dinner is scheduled immediately following the tour at Yara Restaurant located at 319 E 53rd St, New York, NY 10022. There will be no assigned seating.

RETURN: The bus will pick-up returning guests from Yara Restaurant after dinner. To best avoid traffic, the bus plans to depart by 9:15 PM. We plan to be back at the Armenian Presbyterian Church by 10:30 PM.

CONTACT: If you have any questions or need assistance, please save the AMAA Marketing & Events Manager, Christine Kutlu’s mobile number (201) 983-1396.

CHANGES/CANCELLATIONS: If there are any changes to your confirmed transportation or attendance, please let us know right away.

Header Photograph: Tom Powel Imaging / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Photography © 2023 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.