News Articles Library Event Photos Contact Search


Displaying items by tag: alexis adler

Two sisters of the late, New York City-based modern artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat, filed a $1 million lawsuit against Christie’s in Manhattan’s Federal District Court on Tuesday, March 4. Basquiat’s siblings claim that the auction house tried to sell possible fakes and falsely suggested that a number of the works had been authenticated by the estate.

The works in question are being offered by Alexis Adler, Basquiat’s former girlfriend and roommate, and include poems written on scrap paper, painted clothing, a sketchbook, prints, and collages. The suit states that six of the more than three dozen items being offered were authenticated by the estate in 2007, but one was rejected because the committee did not consider it a work of art. The other objects were never submitted for the authentication committee’s approval. The lawsuit states that despite bypassing the committee, Christie’s included a notice in the auction catalog that the works being offered had been copyrighted by the estate. Basquiat’s sisters are seeking a court order barring the auction house from using the estate’s name in the sale.

The Basquiat auction, which is being held online and at the auction house, began on Monday, March 2 and will run through Monday, March 17.

Basquiat, who rose to fame in the 1980s, died of a drug overdose in 1988. His graffiti-inspired Neo-expressionist and Primitivist paintings remain highly influential in the realm of contemporary art.

Published in News

In 1979 when Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) was still an unknown graffiti artist, he shared an apartment with his girlfriend, Alexis Adler, in Manhattan’s East Village. Typical of his street art roots, Basquiat covered the space in murals, his signature scrawled crowns, and other artistic markings. The couple split up a year later, shortly before Basquiat rocketed to art stardom. Sadly, his life and career were cut tragically short by a drug overdose in 1988.

Adler, who now works as an embryologist at New York University, eventually purchased the apartment she once shared with Basquiat and never painted over his work. She also held on to the artist’s notebooks, postcards, painted clothes, photographs, and drawings. After three decades, Adler has begun consulting with advisors in regard to her unparalleled collection of Basquiat ephemera. It has been rumored that she is looking to release a book on her never-before-seen collection, which could entail an exhibition and sale, but has not been confirmed by Adler.      

After his death, Basquiat remained a major figure in the art market and he continues to be the subject of highly anticipated exhibitions. Adler’s holdings will no doubt be a welcomed addition to the Basquiat market presence. In an attempt to ready herself for the frenzy that will undoubtedly ensue, Adler has hired Stephen Torton, Basquiat’s former assistant, to represent her in any future sales. Lisa Rosen of Fine Art Restoration is responsible for refurbishing and removing a wall from the apartment that contains a full Basquiat mural and Sur Rodney Sur, the former director of the Gracie Mansion gallery, has already catalogued the 65-plus items in the collection.

Also included in Adler’s remarkable collection is a script for a play written by Basquiat and rolls of 35mm film documenting the artist at work as well as candidly going about his day. The collection offers a rare glimpse of the artist on the brink of unprecedented fame.

Published in News
Events