Street art is incomplete without mentioning Jean-Michel Basquiat. In the 1980s, his daring, colorful, and stimulating graffiti art completely changed the New York art scene. He elevated himself from a struggling artist who lived on the streets in a cardboard box to one of the greatest artists of all time.

Many areas of pop culture, fashion included, have been greatly influenced by Basquiat’s work. The most outstanding of them all is his famous crown logo, which can be seen on various commodities, ranging from Basquiat crown shirts to hoodies and bags, among others. 

Today, we are going to look at one particular piece from Basquiat, and that is his crown, which has become so popular in street fashion!

The Rise of a Street Art Legend

Born on December 22, 1960, in Brooklyn, Jean-Michel Basquiat portrayed artistic potential from a very young age. He dropped out of school at a young age and took to the streets, where he painted graffiti with his close friend Al Diaz using the tag SAMO (“Same Old Shit”). 
 

The attention-grabbing words that they used made them known all over New York City in a short while. Basquiat was only 20 years old when he moved from graffiti to producing fine art, which consisted of acrylics with additional materials, e.g., charcoal, oil sticks. 

He would combine some of the common African American symbols with pictures that showed different things, like the logos of products that were being sold and very famous people, e.g., Leonardo da Vinci, Charles Darwin.

A Captivating Collaboration

When he was 23 years old, Basquiat made an acquaintance with another artist, Andy Warhol, who, up to his demise in 1987 at the age of 23, became his mentor and later a close ally. The collaboration between these two artists resulted in some pieces of art that confirmed Basquiat as a great artist. 

The art portrayed by Basquiat was a combination of Warhol’s commercial art, which was very smooth, and his own aggressive and rough style, but all of them had very strong messages concerning racism, politics, and consumerism.

In addition, Basquiat came up with various commodities that had his famous crown symbol. However, the most outstanding ones were the t-shirts that were decorated with the sign on the front. This was a plain but very attractive design that represented street art in its prime, and therefore, it was quickly adopted as a favorite among fans.
 

The Symbolism Behind the Crown

The origin of Basquiat’s crowns in his paintings can be linked to the way in which pharaohs were portrayed with crowns on their heads that were decorated with these kinds of royal symbols in ancient Egypt. 

To him, this was a symbol of power that extended beyond just being different from others. He once described crowns as “super-intellectual jester caps” in an interview, implying their association with high intelligence and supremacy that prevail even in chaotic situations.
 

Nevertheless, it is not only about representing traditional symbols. Some people think that Basquiat included crowns in his paintings because they were associated with individuals who were taken against their will and sold as slaves in America during the colonial period. 

This serves to emphasize his views on race and cultural conventions in his art!

Bridging Art and Fashion

The demand for Basquiat's crown shirt, designed by Basquiat, has increased since he died in 1988. 

Today, it is not only related to street fashion, but it is also used by some of the most important fashion houses like Comme des Garçons, Supreme, Off-White, and many others. These collaborations are beautiful because they manage to combine various views to form something unique, and at the same time, not lose the original Basquiat’s idea. 

One such collaboration is seen in the Basquiat inspired collection where the American fashion designer, Alexander Wang, brings out the aspect of joining two extremes of street graffiti and elite fashion; for instance, he used multicolored patchwork in these Basquiat crown shirt collections.

Cultural Significance

The crown symbol by Basquiat is seen in many sectors and is very important culturally. This is because the use of such like crowns creates a platform for discussing matters concerning racism, activism, and social issues among all people today.

In addition, this is a reminder that every person has the potential to elevate themselves from a lowly beginning to a much better status; for instance, Basquiat managed to move off the street and rose to be a renowned historical artist. 

This is because, besides being a fashion statement, it symbolizes hope, resilience, as well as gives strength to people.

Final Thoughts

To sum up, it is impossible to overlook the influence of Jean-Michel Basquiat on art and fashion. The crown symbol that he designed is now a symbol of the graffiti culture, but with a lot of other significances. 

This symbol is still motivational among young people because it communicates being unique and independent. This proves that authentic art pieces are timeless and influential.

The next time you come across an individual in a Basquiat Crown Shirt or any other product with the same logo, remember that the wearer is supporting an iconic figure. This symbol is much more than a fashion statement. 

It is a reminder of a great artist who did more than change what we call vandalism today, because his work will continue to influence us in every kind of art for a long time!

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