Similar to the way paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat have played a key role in the frenzy surrounding contemporary high-end art auctions, the same is happening in the more limited market of vintage contemporary art ephemera. The cards, posters and publications that feature Basquiat and chart the important moments in his short career are among the most coveted examples of this new category of art collectible.
Over the years Gallery 98 has handled some of the best examples Basquiat ephemera. Most of these items have already sold but since we are a research site for art historians, as well as an online gallery for collectors, we often leave sold items posted on the site. This online exhibition features these, as well as items still in our inventory; our goal is to provide an easily accessible survey of important Basquiat ephemera. The thirty-eight Basquiat items featured here do not comprise a complete collection of the printed ephemera produced during his life. They do however give a good idea of his career highlights and of the group exhibitions that he participated in alongside other artists in his milieu.
