Dramatising the final days of the famed neo-expressionist Jean-Michel Basquiat‘s life, PoetryHouse present The Lost Generation – a behind-the-scenes examination of Basquiat’s dealings with fame, his collaboration with Andy Warhol, succeeding in the elitist world of art and creating a body of work that he truly believes in.
Playing at just under two hours long, viewers witness Basquiat’s vulnerable side, a man celebrated on the outside world for his ability to utilise the art form of graffiti – one of the strands of Hip Hop, to articulate themes of power, race and class, issues pertinent to himself and to the wider community. He’s a young man still trying to figure out his own voice and who he is – adding a feeling of authenticity to the show.
The Lost Generation, inspired by its main muse is steeped in creativity, as hypothetical encounters with Michael Ohren‘s nonchalant Charles Bukowski, Cinthia Lilen‘s vivacious Frida Kahlo, Jake Bryan-Amaning‘s smooth Gil-Scott Heron and Samuel Burnard‘s sophisticated F. Scott Fitzgerald allow for Dauda Ladejobi‘s Basquiat to explore his current situation further, interviews with Felix Brunger and Amy Cotter‘s various ruthless critics, journalists, buyers and photographers reminding viewers of the fast paced, trendsetting, superficial aspect of the art world – the subtle battle played out throughout the show.
Available on YouTube to stream, the show is cleverly filmed and staged, our new normal informing how the cast interact and portray Basquiat’s story. Jahmar Ngozi writes a quietly ambitious show, imagining a world whereby Basquiat converses with iconic artists, Ngozi and Ajjaz Awad-Ibraha realise this vision, split screens and green screens transporting all to the late 70s and 80s, graffiti filled backdrops paying homage to the expressive and colourful art form.
Review written by Lucy Basaba.
The Lost Generation is currently available on YouTube to stream, to find out more, visit here…
To find out more about PoetryHouse, visit here…
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