ART

Director Tamra Davis pays homage to her friend in this definitive documentary but also delves into Basquiat as an iconoclast. His dense, bebop-influenced neoexpressionist work emerged while minimalist, conceptual art was the fad; as a successful black artist, he was constantly confronted by racism and misconceptions. Much can be gleaned from insider interviews and archival footage, but it is Basquiat's own words and work that powerfully convey the mystique and allure of both the artist and the man.

A documentary that follows the Serbian performance artist as she prepares for a retrospective of her work at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

A portrait of New York artist Keith Haring.

Face Addict tells the story of a unique and unrepeatable experience, that of the artistic community in New York between the late '70s and early '80s known as the downtown scene. From this scene emerged artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Jim Jarmusch, Deborah Harry, John Lurie and many others. With them Edo Bertoglio shared many experiences and passions. F ace Addict, a walk-movie following the thread of memory, tells about the past and present lives of Bertoglio and other protagonists of the downtown scene, through personal reminiscences and original footage and photographs. In this journey toward the rediscovery of New York 20 years later, on the traces of a time long gone and a scattered community, Bertoglio is accompanied by his friend Walter Steding, Andy Warhol's ex-assistant, avant-garde painter and musician. The soundtrack of the film is by John Lurie, Evan Lurie and Franco Piersanti.

After being released from the hospital, the artist Jean Michel Basquiat wanders around Manhattan trying to sell art to make money and find a place to stay.