Post-graffiti expressionism in the New York underground of the 80s – In a period when conceptual and minimalist art constituted the dominant currents of contemporary American aesthetics, Basquiat’s universe emerged as a break from the norm, as neo-expressionist painting. Basquiat began his career very young, creating conceptual graffiti with his friend Al Diaz under the pseudonym SAMO. In the 80s New York, the post-graffiti movement was marked by a shift from the street and urban surfaces to the studio and canvas, opening the way for young artists from the counterculture to enter the art market.
