To what did Jean-Michel Basquiat’s tag name “SAMO” refer?

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Basquiat often included the © symbol in his graffiti works.  What ironic message is conveyed when the graffiti writer claims copyright to their material?  In your opinion, who owns the work?

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Once the artist made the transition into the “fine art” world, did he abandon graffiti?

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What interested early buyers and dealers in Basquiat’s work?  How did the artist respond to this attention?

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What influence did Andy Warhol have on Basquiat?

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How did Basquiat achieve such fame in so little time?  Is this, perhaps, an element of his biography that we like to believe, but isn’t necessarily true?

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Explain why many feel that the New York art world exploited Basquiat.  In turn, how did the artist exploit the New York art world?

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How does the movie reinforce or refute the characterization of Basquiat as the familiar tragic, conflicted, genius artist?   Does the portrayal of the artist play into stereotypical views of successful artists?  (In particular, think of the scenes in which the artist is in the studio painting.)  Why do we seem to love these tragic creative characters so much?

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