At age seven, Basquiat was struck by a car while playing in the street. During his recovery, his mother gave him a copy of Gray’s Anatomy, a medical textbook that profoundly influenced his artistic vocabulary. Anatomical imagery would later become a defining element in his work.

The Shoot: “For me, that’s what makes these pictures so interesting, the focus is on him, instead of the mad energy surrounding himself.” – Richard Corman