August 12, 2013 marks the 25th anniversary of the passing of one of the great figures in the annals of American art history. Jean-Michel Basquiat died of a heroin overdose on a "day just like today," depriving us all of what would could have been. What might have Basquiat produced had he remained with us for "Desert Storm" in '91; "NAFTA" in '93-94; or "9/11" and the emerging post 9/11 global order? Unfortunately we shall never know. We did have Basquiat with us for a little while at least. Here is an all too brief look at the work of...

From the final episode of "State of the Art," a 1985-86 UK Channel 4 documentary series it's Andy Warhol and his "discovery" Jean-Michel Basquiat being filmed together over something dangerously unconscionable in the art world: Each has defaced a piece of each other's own art. A bold statement by both artists to be sure, but one can't help but wonder if the idea all came from the decadent genius Andy Warhol to begin with? It's not like aged old Andy would have had a chance of bedding and defiling a Jean-Michel Basquiat like he may have been able to pull...