Dr. Natalie Phillips
<b>Department:</b> School of Art<br><b>Research Area:</b>The art of Jean-Michel Basquiat<br>
Department: School of Art
Research Focus: The art of Jean-Michel Basquiat
Potential Student Project(s): I am currently writing a book on the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat, an artist whose work in the 1980s used appropriated imagery from his daily life to create powerful anti-racist visual statements. I am looking for student assistance in a research project that requires tracking down source material for images referenced in Basquiat’s work. The images he borrows comes from a remarkably wide variety of sources: comic book ads, academic texts, art history, random footnotes, television, cartoons, among many others. Student should have the ability to think outside of the box to track down unusual sources and should have a good grasp of digital image searches.
Attributes/skills/background sought in undergraduate: Experience with image research, pop culture of the 1980s, ability to think creatively, knowledge of library databases, locating physical library books as well as accessing digital texts. Student should have patience and be detail-oriented since this research can be frustrating and slow, but also very rewarding.
Mentoring Plan: I would meet regularly with the student to update them, answer questions, and track their progress. It is ok if a search for source material fails. Sometimes Basquiat used very obscure material and it may not be possible to locate the original image anymore. The ideal student for this project will be patient, good-natured, and persistent, but also willing to admit defeat if a source is untraceable.
Contact: 765-285-8117, AJ 216