Jean Michel Basquiat was born on December 22 1960 in Brooklyn, New York. At an early age his mother, Matilde, introduced him to art by taking him to museums and theatres, and he learned to draw from the books she brought him, like Gray's Anatomy. For a brief time he attended school Puerto Rico, where he had a first attempt at life drawing in year 9 and was the only student to fail. Basquiat soon left and fell into CAS ("City as school"). CAS was a program designed for kids who struggled at traditional schools.
Feeling cramped and like he was getting nowhere he left home and lived on the streets for some time. …
