In 1982, Warhol met Basquiat through their common art dealer Bruno Bischofberger and became friends. They end up collaborating on 200 paintings and had a common show at Tony Shafrazi Gallery, opening on September 14, 1985. 
 

Andy Warhol

In this POST, Warhol shares a detail of their joint work as a preview of the exhibition. He said of it that it was probably among the best things he had done and was always positive about the collaboration even when the reviews were negative. Indeed, thanks to Basquiat, Warhol went back to painting and found a new source of inspiration. 

The comment of Basquiat is based on Warhol diaries where he mentions the evening at the MTW awards and how Basquiat and Haring are competing for media attention.

The writer Glenn O'Brien had been a very early supporter of Basquiat and was close to Warhol. He stated that "Basquiat was way ahead of his time" and "ahead of his market". 

 

Jean Michel Basquiat
Vivien Raynor, critic for the NY Times, wrote on September 20 1985 that Jean-Michel Basquiat "had a chance of becoming a very good painter providing he didn't succumb to the forces that would make him an art world mascot". ”the collaboration looks like one of Warhol's manipulations, (...) Basquiat, meanwhile, comes across as the all too willing accessory".

Basquiat’s comment is from an interview“I don't listen to what art critics say. I don't know anybody who needs a critic to find out what art is.” One of his reproach against the art world was that it was the SAMO (Same Old Shit) which was his first signature as a street artist.

In his diaries Warhol writes that he's particularly upset about this part of the review. In this POST his comment is based on his quote about critics "Don't pay any attention to what they write about you. Just measure it in inches."

Still their relationship which was already a bit shaky at the time was hurt and they never were as close as before.

​

Sources:

The Andy Warhol Diaries,

Jean-Michel Basquiat: 1960-1988, Leonhard Emmerling

New York Times, September 20 1985

Glennobrien.com