Art Step: Dr. Martens X Basquiat
Brooklyn made artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat, made a revolution and an impact on the art world that has influenced every generation since. Living on the streets and walking around restaurants of New York City, he was selling his art on the cardboards for a couple of dollars. Later on, at the beginning of the 1980s, Basquiat became famous as part of SAMO, the graffiti duo that tagged structures around New York’s Lower East Side. A collaboration with Andy Warhol helped cement his stature in the New York art scene. Warhol was not just a work partner to him, yet a mentor and a soulmate. And after Andy's death in 1987, Basquiat has struggled with deep depression and then died of a heroin overdose in 1988. After his demise, the prices for his artworks have skyrocketed. At the end of June 2020, a Jean-Michel Basquiat works on paper entitled "Untitled (Head)" sold for U$15.2 million at an online auction organized by Sotheby. Not a secret that a lot of people without millions in their pocket would like to share the aesthetic of his vision. Now they have an opportunity. Another explosive classic of the 20th century, cult Dr. Martens has launched a collection in collaboration with the estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat, which turns a spotlight on some of his most famous works.
The first pair of Dr. Martens boots came to the production line on the 1st of April 1960. With its trademark yellow stitch, grooved sole and heel-loop, it was a boot for workers, initially worn by postmen, and policemen - comfortable, durable, and lightweight in comparison to its competitors at the time. Now the brand is taking Basquiat’s boundary-breaking approach to art to create new canvases for his legendary artwork. A nod to the artistic supernova, this pack features scrawling lines, bold, clashing colors, and obscure texts, numbers, and symbols. Energetic album piece "Beat Bop" is scrawled across Original 8-eye boot, and the ambitious "Dustheads" has been printed onto 1461 shoe, reworking subcultural classics into, modern designs. The collection also includes a Kids 1460 boot with Basquiat’s neo-expressional dinosaur piece "Pez Dispenser" on smooth Hydro leather.
A collaboration promises success, and we are already expecting to see iconic boots featuring in the nicest style fits.
Pictures: PR
