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Downt own 8 1 : A Tribute to JEAN MICHEL BASQUIAT KID CREOLE AND THE COCONUTS in DOWNTOWN 81, phot o court esy Zeit geist Films phot o court esy Zeit geist Films DEBORAH HARRY and JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT in DOWNTOWN 81 Show i ng i n t he Whi t ney Bi enni al at 22, dead of a heroin overdose at 27, t he life of Jean Mi chel Basqui at is surely t he st uf f of l egends but i s it t he st uf f t hat has t he power t o creat e a l egacy? 0. Abi ol a Aki nt ol a, t he organizer of a weekend l ong mul t imedia t ribut e t o t he life and legacy of Basquiat , t hi nks so. Downt own 81, t he r ecent l y r el eased f il m Jean Mi chel Basqui at st arred in at ni net een, was t he cent erpiece and poi nt of depart ure f or t he recent gat her i ng of a gr oup of young urban art ist s, f il mmakers, and m usi cians of Af rican descent l iving in t he met ro DC and on t he edge of t he capit al cit y's est abl i shment art worl d. In Downt own 81, New York Cit y's Lower East Side provides t he backdrop for a young art ist 's encount er wi t h var i ous mani f est at i ons of t he cit y's cut t ing edge urban cult ure. Basqui at j ams wit h members of his own band Gray and has var i ous encount er s wit h ei ght i es New Wave l egends Deborah Harry and members of Bl ondie, DNA, and The Plast ics, as well as Melle Mel, Kid Creole and t he Coconut s and even works a graf f it i mural wit h Fab Five Freddie. The movi e's most i mpor t ant achi evement lies in it s abil it y t o make mani f est t he product ivit y of urban cult ures on t he edge as t hey creat ed a conver sat i on t hr ough t he habi t ual and happenst ance cont act t hat urbanit y generat es. Aki nt ol a and t he art ist s and f il mmakers in t he show, i ncl udi ng W. El l i ngt on Felt on, DJ Munch, Kobi Nichol s, ayo, and Gloria "Gl obot " Nauden, work t o creat e a moment in w hi ch, accor di ng t o Aki nt ol a, "1980s Avant Garde New York and Mi l l enni um Neo-Renai ssance Washi ngt on D.C." can meet . The show 's past iche of music, f eel i ng, and st yl i st i c i nnovat i ons f rom t he ei ght i es successf ul l y creat es a mood in whi ch eight ies pop st andar ds as Queen's "Anot her One Bit es t he Dust " and The Eur yt hmics's "Sw eet Dr eams" f eel perf ect ly in t andem wit h t he post -pop art aest het ic of t hi s gr oup of cont empor ar y Bl ack art ist s. For t he most part , t he work of t he art ist s in t he show dodges t he pot ent i al l y more t r oubl i ng aspect s of Basqui at 's f am e—t he widespread t endency t ow ar ds vi ew i ng hi s work as modern primit ivism and his own geni us as somew hat in line wit h t hat of an idiot savant , t he addi ct i on, and t he expl oi t at i on. Inst ead, t...

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