Jean-Michel Basquiat Barbie Review

Stock photo of Jean-Michel Basquiat Barbie

Three words: I love her!

This doll is artistic perfection. Even the box screams Jean-Michel Basquiat with his artwork and iconic symbols throughout. I hope those who have deboxed their dolls will not discard the box.  I purchased two dolls with the plan to debox one, but I am having second thoughts about doing that now. That's just how impressed I am with the whole package.

I took several photos with and without flash. My photos do not do the doll or box justice. They are shared next.

Full view of the boxed doll

The doll uses the Nichelle head sculpt, which was first used in 1990 in the Shani doll line.

This facial close-up includes a closer look at the box background art of Jean-Michel Basquiat.

The facial screening is not as intense as the prototype images illustrate, which is a plus for me. I had initially thought the black eye lining would be too heavy based on the prototype photos, but it is not heavy on the production doll. The hair is styled in four sections of microbraids.

Dressed in a three-piece suit of a jacket, shirt, and wide-bottom pants, accessories include a tie, belt, gold crown, and red boots. The outfit is covered with several Basquiat drawings and paintings.

The tie and jacket lapels have abstract facial images.

What appears to be a self-portrait of Basquiat is an image of a brown-skinned man on the doll's tie. Graphic facial images are on both lapels of the jacket.

Barbie's belt

The lengthy, nylon webbed black belt continuously reads in white letters: SAMO© FOR THE SO-CALLED AVANTE GARDE.

Box graphics

The lower right corner of the box bears Jean-Michel Basquiat's signature above which is his iconic motif, the crown. Just as Basquiat often wore a crown, Barbie wears one, too. According to Francesco Clemente, "A crown appears frequently in the early work of Jean-Michel Basquiat signaling his ambition and understanding of art history" (Heroes and Saints).

Side Panels

One side panel also bears the artist's signature and iconic crown drawing.

The signature can be seen slightly better in this photo taken with the flash.

Basquiat's artwork, "Pez Dispenser," which features a crown-wearing dinosaur appears on the opposite panel of the doll's box.

"Pez Dispenser is an artwork created in 1984 by the Manhattan-based artist Jean-Michel Basquiat." (Pez Dispenser). It is included on the opposite side panel of the doll's box.

Back of the Box

Jean-Michel Basquiat and his artwork

Jean-Michel Basquiat and his artwork are on the back of the box as illustrated above with a very brief bio of the artist at the bottom of the box.

Jean-Michel Basquiat's box bio reads as follows:

"During the 1980s, as the art movement known as neo-expression gained traction, a young street artist from Brooklyn, NY emerged. Barbie celebrates the influential work of Jean-Michel Basquiat. His frenetic paintings are an infusion of graphic poetry, cultural dichotomies, and compelling social statements. Basquiat played an essential role in elevating graffiti art from the underground to gaining well-deserved acclaim in the upper echelons of the art world.

"In a stunning tribute to the artist, Barbie wears a head-to-toe ensemble featuring many well-known masterpieces spanning throughout Basquiat's career. From the gleaming golden crown atop her head, to the bespoke suit emblazoned with artwork, Jean-Michel Basquiat X Barbie doll is a curated collaboration bridging two cultural icons."

I love her; I really do!

This articulated doll is part of the Gold label collection. No more than 20,000 Jean-Michel Basquiat X Barbie dolls will be produced worldwide. A certificate of authenticity and a doll stand are included with this three-dimensional masterpiece.

References:
"Heroes and Saints." http://basquiat.guggenheim-bilbao.eus/en/heroes-and-saints/
"Pez Dispenser." http://www.jean-michel-basquiat.org/pez-dispenser/

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