In 1984, Richard Corman spent an afternoon photographing Jean-Michel Basquiat in his studio at 57 Great Jones Street in New York City. Now, more than 30 years later, the shots he took are being publishing in a portfolio printed in a very limited edition of 20, many of which have never been seen before.
Richard Corman reveals his beautiful portraits of ‘radiant child’ Jean-Michel Basquiat, taken in 1984, for the first time. See some of them below.
At the time, Basquiat was well and truly at the height of his fame, and as Corman recalled to Another Man Mag, when he entered the studio “there seemed to be a creative party going on inside…with a wonderful sense of confusion.”
“He was remarkable to photograph,” Corman remembers. “As he ultimately seemed to share his intense and raw persona through his eyes, hands and what seemed to be an uncomfortable body language. I have never photographed anyone with his type of presence since.
His brilliance and his mind made him unique. His work was an absolute stream of his consciousness as he was a poet, a painter and a profound thinker who at the time was unlike anyone in his community.”
The portfolio, published by NJG, will be printed housed in a blood red hand-made slipcase and presented in a nearly invisible Plexi-glass box. The super special limited edition portfolios will each be stamped, signed and numbered by Richard Corman and printer Ruedi Hofmann.
Have a look at the some of the stunning portraits below.
