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Curator’s Tour: Basquiat × Banksy
February 28, 2025 | 12:00 pm–1:00 pm
FREE
Meet at the Information Desk in the Lobby
Hirshhorn curator Betsy Johnson will walk visitors through the exhibition Basquiat × Banksy, which highlights two major paintings, one by Jean-Michel Basquiat (b. Brooklyn, New York, 1960–1988) and the other by Banksy (anonymous; b. near Bristol, England). Placed in dialogue, Basquiat’s Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump (1982) and Banksy’s response, Banksquiat. Boy and Dog in Stop and Search (2018), reveal throughlines among street art, contemporary art, and the popular imagination.
About the Exhibition
Basquiat × Banksy marks the first time that artwork by either artist has been presented at the nation’s museum of modern and contemporary art. The exhibition also includes 20 small works on paper and wood from the collection of Larry Warsh that Basquiat made between 1979 and 1985 and demonstrate the artist’s deep familiarity with art history, his use of language, and his signature motifs, such as skulls and crowns. The film Downtown 81 (shot in 1980–1981 and released in 2000), a send-up of the denizens of Manhattan’s ’80s avant-garde that stars Basquiat as a struggling artist named “Jean,” is also on view.
Organized by Betsy Johnson, assistant curator at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Basquiat × Banksy is presented as part of the Hirshhorn’s 50th-anniversary season. Basquiat × Banksy has been made possible with generous support from Kenneth C. Griffin and Griffin Catalyst.
Image credit: Jean-Michel Basquiat (b. Brooklyn, New York, 1960–1988), Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump, 1982. Acrylic, crayon, and spray paint on canvas. Private collection. © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York
All images by Jean-Michel Basquiat, all likenesses of Jean-Michel Basquiat, and all use of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s name © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York.
If you have questions or a request for access services or accommodations that can make your experience more inclusive, please contact hirshhornexperience@si.edu. One to two weeks’ advance notice is recommended but not required.
