A century ago, New Yorkers were abuzz over 1,300 artworks displayed at the 69th Regiment Armory. Known as the Armory Show, the exhibition marked the first significant display of modern European art in America and included pieces by Paul Cezanne and Marcel Duchamp. In honor of the momentous 100th anniversary, New York will host a variety of events commemorating the artistic brilliance of past generations.
On Thursday, Sotheby's will hold a contemporary art auction to coincide with the show's anniversary. The sale will include works from a variety of modern movements including abstract expressionism, arte povera and pop art. Pieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, New York City's standout street artists of the '80s, are some of the most anticipated items on sale.
Basquiat, who died in 1988 at the age of twenty-seven, has also grabbed the spotlight at the Gagosian Gallery. Gagosian's exhibit will feature over 50 of his works from private and public collections and surveys the artist's short but prolific career. Though Basquiat's earliest works were graffiti writings, his love for underground art and culture is palpable in his fine art paintings.
The Grey Art Gallery of New York University will debut "Beat Memories," a show featuring a collection of photographs by Allen Ginsberg. The show will be an in-depth study of the Beat generation as seen through Ginsberg's lens.
When an artist dies, the work he leaves behind must fend for itself amidst a culture of perpetual innovation, and the abundance of upcoming retrospectives demonstrate the importance of celebrating past achievements. Perhaps you have never heard of Basquiat or seen Ginsberg's photos, but now might just be the perfect time to change that. New York City is only a Dartmouth Coach ride away.
