Swatch’s art collaborations are always sure-fire hits, and with its latest partnership with the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat (via global licensing agency Artestar), the brand has hit it out of the park once again.
New York-based graffiti artist Basquiat (1960-1988) radicalised the international art scene in the 1980s combining street art and pop culture references with a forceful Neo Expressionist technique. He is also famed for his work with like-minded artists such as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring.
One of the most well-known painters of his generation, and generally regarded as one of the most significant artists of the 20th century, it is partly due to Basquiat’s success, that the graffiti subculture gained acceptance as a legitimate art form.
Now Swatch brings Basquiat’s renowned early 1980s paintings into the Swatch Art Journey with the fifth edition of this capsule collection that launched in 1985 and celebrates ground-breaking artists.
In all, there will be three watches plus a special set that includes the trio in a presentation box. Each watch is a work of art in and of itself, showcasing Basquiat’s cutting-edge compositions.
Referencing the modern world, Swatch has brought contemporary worldwide skate and BMX culture into the collection’s campaign shots. Swatch Proteam’s Andy Anderson, a world champion and professional skateboarder, and Matthias Dandois, a nine-time BMX world champion, star in the campaign that emphasises the unification of urban art and sport.
The three watches in the new collection are:
Hollywood Africans by Jean-Michel Basquiat
This timepiece draws inspiration from Basquiat’s original 1983 artwork, which explores the various stereotypes of African Americans in the entertainment business and in general American society. The trio of individuals represent the artist with the rapper Rammellzee and the painter Toxic and are depicted on the dial of the bright yellow watch. In true Basquiat style, text, pictures, and abstract signals are merged to create a magnified energy. Available now, priced £91.
Ishtar by Jean-Michel Basquiat
The 1983 piece is titled after Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of battle and fertility, and the Roman numerals and lettering on the painting dominate the black dial. The strap incorporates several aspects of the artwork, fusing images of faces that are typical of Basquiat’s work with historical allusions to authority. Available now, priced £91.
Basquiat’s PAY!
Basquiat used to sign his pieces of art in a variety of ways. The artist’s well-known three-pointed crown pattern, which stands out in the original 1982 artwork and is depicted on this model’s dial in bold black lines, is elegantly framed by the black case, strap bottom, and loop. The artist’s signature on the strap serves as the final flourish. This version is also SwatchPAY! enabled. Available now, priced £101.
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