Image courtesy of Roark
Jean-Michel Basquiat was a groundbreaking New York City artist in the 1980s, who rose to fam through his Neo-expressionism work that lasted well beyond his death at age 27 from a heroin overdose. Adventure lifestyle brand Roark has been inspired by Basquiat’s iconic art to deliver a new 17-piece collection that launched this week.
Basquiat was one of the best known artists of his generation and is widely considered one of the most important artists of the 20th century. He was an enigmatic composer of art, music, and advocacy, and the Roark collection includes key silhouettes, all reimagined with bold pops of color and Basquiat’s signature abstract works.
Through the collection Roark hopes to expose a new audience to the inspirational work of this iconic artist.
“It’s beyond special to present this collection inspired by the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat and share it with Roark fans,” said Roark founder Ryan Hitzel, “We explore the merger of rhythm and flow with his iconic symbolism, raw creativity and challenging of the status quo. We find the best version of ourselves in that state of mind, whether we’re surfing, running or adventuring through the world.”
Image courtesy of Roark
Key styles include a range of premium running apparel including Roark’s pinnacle run short, the Alta, made from a lightweight four-way stretch nylon, and the Secondwind, an ultra lightweight packable run jacket featuring stretch ripstop fabric with a no-shine dry feel and durable water-resistant finish. Also look for Roark’s Chiller and Passage boardshorts, popular Bless Up and Gonzo wovens, an all-new women’s fleece and hybrid overall, plus tees and caps — distinctive pieces for runners and art fans alike, as well as anyone who prefers stylish, technical active apparel.
Basquiat often incorporated words into his paintings and the conjunction of various media is an integral element of his art. His paintings are typically covered with text and codes of all kinds: words, letters, numerals, pictograms, logos, map symbols, diagrams and more, and featured multi-panel paintings and individual canvases with exposed stretcher bars, the surface dense with writing, collage and imagery.
This fits in exceedingly well with Roark’s aesthetic, which has often included words and other uncommon imagery on its clothing items.
Image courtesy of Roark
