A concise and carefully considered introduction to one of the most celebrated and misunderstood artists of the twentieth century — approved directly by the Basquiat estate and family, a distinction that matters in a landscape crowded with unauthorized accounts. Guided by Basquiat scholar Larry Warsh, the book traces the full arc: from a precocious childhood in Brooklyn through his rebellious adolescence, meteoric rise, and tragic death at 27.

The heart of the book examines the recurring themes of his practice — urban life, the human figure, music, sports, and the fusion of multicultural symbols and social commentary that defined his graphic language. The back matter includes sketches from Basquiat's notebooks, a chronology, and essays by Henry Geldzahler and Henry Louis Gates Jr. — grounding one of art history's most electric careers in scholarship as sharp as the work itself.