A copy of the vinyl record album Gray, Shades Of... featuring offset cover art from Jean-Michel Basquiat, signed by fellow band members Nick Taylor and Michael Holman.<ul><li>First pressing.</li><li>Numbered from an edition of 1,000.</li><li>Hand-signed in black ink.</li><li>Cover design by Basquiat features the artist's fingerprint.</li></ul>

Basquiat Record Cover Art: Gray, Shades Of...

Jean-Michel Basquiat photograph by Nicholas Taylor.<ul><li>Silver gelatin print.</li><li>Signed and numbered by the photographer from an AP of 3.</li><li>Part of Taylor’s well-documented portfolio exploring his friendship with Jean-Michel Basquiat.</li></ul>

Jean-Michel Basquiat Photograph

Basquiat illustrated and printed this flyer for his band Gray in 1980.<ul><li>Jean-Michel Basquiat (American, 1960-1988).</li><li>Unsigned from an edition of unknown size.</li><li>Xerox printed on paper.</li><li>Accompanied by a letter of provenance.</li><li>This work is presented unframed.</li></ul> Executed similarly in the manner of his well-documented Anti-Product Cards of the period, Basquiat draws over a found image, then employs his famous William Burroughs-style "cut-up" technique, completing the piece by abstractly scrawling the word "Gray" above. First called Channel 9, then Test Pattern, the Basquiat co-founded group settled on the name "Gray" after Basquiat's fondness for the textbook Gray's Anatomy. Gray was an experimental New York Noise band defined by jazz improvisation, spoken word poetry, sound looping and everything in between. Gray members included co-founder Michael Holman, Nick Taylor, Shannon Dawson, Wayne Clifford and eventually Vincent Gallo. "Jean-Michel did all the posters for the band" (see Fretz, Basquiat A Biography p.40), and the group most notably played the likes of historic downtown clubs such as CBGB, The Mudd Club, Squat Theater and Hurrah's. The late Glenn O'Brien once noted that Basquiat approached music as a "Picasso-Charlie Parker-Miles Davis" collage. Basquiat, who played clarinet, synthesizer and a number of hybrid instruments, once said of Gray, "We were trying to be incomplete, abrasive, oddly beautiful." A description much in line with the nature of his art going forward. Based on the nature of how "Gray" is written, it's likely Basquiat was influenced by the mysterious religious-zealot-turned-urban-legend/street artist famous for key scratching "Pray" on hundreds of New York City building doors and phone booths in a similar style.

Gray Band Flyer

<a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?query=jean%20michel%20basquiat&amp;tab=objects&amp;sortBy=bsp_dotcom_prod_en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Basquiat</a> created this flyer on the occasion of a performance by his band, Test Pattern (later renamed to <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?query=basquiat%20gray&amp;tab=objects&amp;sortBy=bsp_dotcom_prod_en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gray</a>), at the much fabled downtown art space, “A’s", December 5th, 1979, at 330 Broome Street, New York.<ul><li>After Jean Michel Basquiat (American, 1960-1988).</li><li>Published by the artist, 1979.</li><li>This work is presented unframed.</li></ul> A much historical work, notably exhibited and catalogued as part of the 2017 Basquiat London Boom for Real exhibition at the Barbican Center and more recently at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MBAM) &amp; Paris Philharmonic. Basquiat's unique squiggly line, signature vertically spaced "E", use of random technical information, and text, sometimes crossed out, is already apparent in this most seminal early work. Basquiat playfully includes, then crosses his name out on the mid lower left alongside fellow band members. From Jean-Michel Basquiat: A Biography, Fretz, 2010:“Jean-Michel did all the posters for his band. One of the early public performances was in December 1979 at A’s, a loft at 330 Broome Street... Arleen Schloss, the owner, also let Jean-Michel stay there at times and use it as a studio for his “MAN MADE” clothing… [The hand-drawn poster for the gig] is done in his recognizable style, with strange arrows and notations added underneath. Some of the words are crossed out, and there is a dotted line of ink splashed through the middle of the page. A photocopied micro-cassette finishes off the look, suggesting some kind of sound, but not conventional music.”

Basquiat Test Pattern Concert Flyer

Basquiat illustrated and printed this flyer for his band Gray for the occasion of Gray with DNA at the legendary CBGB club on March 22, 1980.<ul><li>Jean-Michel Basquiat (American, 1960-1988).</li><li>Unsigned from an edition of unknown size.</li><li>Xerox printed on paper.</li><li>Accompanied by a letter of provenance.</li><li>This work is presented unframed.</li></ul> Here, Basquiat, in a surreal, film-noir like pattern, employs his own printed fingerprints in the design to suggest a forthcoming Gray performance as a crime-scene waiting to happen, with "GRAY" very discreetly written within one of the fingerprints. A uniquely personal and very striking insight into Basquiat’s own musical history.

A set of performance flyers for Basquiat’s band Gray and fellow New York no wave band, DNA, designed and illustrated by DNA member Tim Wright.<ul><li>Sold as a set of 2 flyers.</li><li>Tim Wright (American, 1952-2013).</li><li>Published for the occasions of: DNA and GRAY at CBGB on March 22, 1980; DNA and GRAY at Squat Theatre on June 6, 1980.</li><li>Annotated on the lower by Michael Holman of Gray to fellow bandmate Nicholas (Nick) Taylor.</li><li>Offset printed.</li><li>Presented unframed.</li></ul> These works were notably exhibited at the Museum of the City of New York 2021 ("New Music 1980-86") and The Philharmonie de Paris, 2023 ("Basquiat Soundtracks"). A much historical testament to Basquiat’s music history. Gray was an experimental New York Noise band defined by jazz improvisation, spoken word poetry, sound looping and everything in between. Gray members included co-founder Michael Holman, Nick Taylor, Shannon Dawson, Wayne Clifford and eventually Vincent Gallo. DNA was an American no wave band formed in 1977 by guitarist Arto Lindsay and keyboardist Robin Crutchfield, and later joined by drummer Ikue Mori and bassist Tim Wright. They were associated with the late 1970s New York no wave scene and were featured on the 1978 compilation No New York and soundtrack to Basquiat Downtown 81.

Gray And DNA Band Flyers

Jean-Michel Basquiat photograph by Nicholas Taylor.<ul><li>Silver gelatin print.</li><li>Signed and numbered by the photographer from an AP of 5.</li><li>Part of Taylor’s well-documented portfolio exploring his friendship with Jean-Michel Basquiat.</li></ul>

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