04/08/2025
In the late 1970s, long before the art world crowned him a neo-expressionist king, Jean-Michel Basquiat was a teenage graffiti artist hustling his way through New York City. Back then, he roamed the streets of Lower Manhattan, pockets mostly empty, but his mind bursting with raw, electric creativity.
One day, he hand-drew a few postcards — small, chaotic bursts of color and cryptic symbols, the same energy that would later explode on giant canvases. These weren’t ordinary postcards. They were Basquiat’s soul on cardboard — fragments of poetry, crowns, skulls, and mysterious text.
With a stack of them in hand, he boldly approached Andy Warhol at a restaurant and offered to sell one for just $1. Warhol, intrigued by the young stranger’s audacity and unique style, bought one. That moment would spark a legendary friendship and collaboration, changing the trajectory of Basquiat’s career forever.
That $1 postcard? It wasn’t just street art. It was the beginning of an icon.
Original postcard s are available in Miami Fine Art Gallery🤍
🔛3180 Commodore Plaza
