Fast, the group exhibition at the Alexander Milliken Gallery, from June 11 to July 15, 1982, is now remembered primarily for its inclusion of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s skull painting (Untitled 1982), which later fetched $110,497,500 at a 2017 auction at Sotheby’s and remains the most expensive of all of Basquiat’s works.
The art historical importance of Fast however is not just restricted to Basquiat. For curator Ed Baynard the title “Fast” broadly meant “passion made concrete,” and it was one of the first exhibitions to feature Neo-Expressionism as an international phenomenon. Baynard’s selection of young American artists was especially prescient. Curators at the Whitney Museum took notice, and five artists from Fast were included in the 1983 Whitney Biennial.
Fast’s contingent of young East Village street artists who were just beginning to exhibit in galleries, was particularly notable. Basquiat’s first exhibition at the Annina Nosei Gallery had closed just one month earlier; Keith Haring’s debut show at the Shafrazi gallery would not be held unitl November; Richard Hambleton’s participation in the exhibition was likely the first time he showed in a New York gallery; Fast also included what David Wojnarowicz considered to be his first “bonified painting,” after he rejected the request for one of his burning-house stencils.
The catalogue for Fast, a group exhibition at Alexander F. Milliken Inc, June 11 – July 15, 1982
30-page catalogue for the group exhibition Fast, Alexander F. Milliken Inc,1982. Size: 9 x 10 inches. Available for Purchase.
Fast was curated by Ed Baynard and included the following artists: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Ed Baynard, Jonathan Borofsky, Richard Bosman, Sandro Chia, Francesco Clemente, Jane Dickson, Martin Disler, Jedd Garet, Richard Hambleton, James Hansen, Keith Haring, David Hockney, Anselm Kiefer, Judy Rifka, David Salle, Joan Snyder, David Wojnarowicz.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled 1982, Sotheby’s promotional publication, 2017
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled 1982, Sothebys, 32-page promotional publication on newsprint, with an 8-page color supplement, 2017. Size: 17 x 23 Inches. Available for purchase.
Basquiat’s skull painting, first exhibited in the Fast exhibition, would sell for $110,497,500.
