It’s not often that original vintage copies of a rare and historic gallery announcement card suddenly appear. But this is exactly what happened with a highly prized 1982 card printed by the Annina Nosei Gallery to promote Jean-Michel Basquiat’s print portfolio Anatomy. Having unexpectedly acquired multiple copies of a card that is among the most highly valued examples of Basquiat ephemera, Gallery 98 can now offer a limited number at a greatly reduced price.
The fact that mint copies of this important card still exist is testimony to Basquiat’s phenomenal early success. Anatomy, Basquiat’s first print project published by the Annina Nosei Gallery was completed just before he left the gallery. A few months later, Nosei showed the Anatomy portfolio in the back room of her gallery, while works by Rammelzee were featured in the main room. In an earlier Gallery 98 newsletter we wrote about the two cards produced for these simultaneous 1983 Basquiat and Rammelzee exhibitions. But we didn’t know then of the existence of this earlier, folded card, which had limited distribution because the Anatomy portfolio sold out quickly. These unused cards have only recently been found.
Without question Annina Nosei was one of Basquiat’s most ardent early supporters. Yet, like many connected to the life and career of this sadly short-lived great artist, she has found herself a subject of controversy. Her decision to let Basquiat work in the 2,000 square-foot basement of her gallery led to outlandish charges that continue today. For example, in writer Ismael Reed’s new satirical play The Slave Who Loved Caviar, Nosei is referred to as a “slavedriver” who locked Basquiat in a “dungeon” and fed him drugs to make him work harder. That this offensive, fictional narrative upset Basquiat at the time, as much as it did Nosei, is clear from this excerpt of an interview by Gallery 98 founder Marc H Miller for Paul Tschinkel’s videotape series ART/new York, 1982.
What About The Story That You Were Locked in a Basement and Made to Paint?
“That just has a nasty edge to it. I was never locked anywhere. Ahh, Christ. If I was white, they would just say ‘artist in residence,’ rather than say all of that other stuff.”
Excerpt from an interview with Jean-Michel Basquiat by Marc H. Miller done for Paul Tschinkel’s videotape series Art/new york, 1982.
The full 1982 interview with Jean-Michel Basquiat is available on Vimeo On Demand.
Visit Gallery 98’s online exhibition of Basquiat ephemera.
From our newsletter archives. First published February 10, 2022.
