Lee Jaffe, a cross-disciplinary visual artist, musician, and poet, took photos of his friend, Jean-Michel Basquiat, when they travelled abroad in 1983. As a photographer, Jaffe had a connection to Basquiat, and their time spent together resulted in an archive of imagery that captured one of the art world s true legends through an unfiltered and authentic lens. Basquiat and Jaffe connected over reggae music at a mutual friend s art show. It was the early 1980s in New York, when the art scene was raw, complicated, and thriving, and Jaffe cultivated strong connections with cultural figures such as Basquiat, Bob Marley, and Peter Tosh. For me, watching him [ Jean] paint reminded me of the times I would sit and play harmonica while Bob Marley, with his acoustic guitar, would be writing songs that were eventually to become classics, Jaffe says. With Jean and Bob, it seemed like they were channelling inspiration coming from an otherworldly place. This beautiful volume presents snapshots of Basquiat: from the artist smiling on a bullet train to Kyoto and behind-the-scenes documentation of Basquiat creating artwork in St. Moritz, to poignant portraits that mirror his undeniable magnetism. These rare depictions of Basquiat come to life with Jaffe s unforgettable experiences of their friendship, collaborations, and travels detailed in private written memories and anecdotes. This insightful and moving illustrated volume captures the soul of the unedited, ambitious, young artist during the height of his short yet unprecedented artistic career.

"[Crossroads] will explore Basquiat's friendship with the multidisciplinary artist Lee Jaffe and the influence that music had on both their lives. Shrouded in mystery no more, this is Basquiat as we've never known him, but at the same time, as he's always been." —CULTURED MAG

"There is perhaps no artist buzzier than Jean-Michel Basquiat right now. After a slew of red-hot auction sales, exhibitions, and biopics, the latest launch is a new book by Lee Jaffe, a cross-disciplinary visual artist, musician, and poet. Jaffe took photos of his friend when they were traveling abroad in the 1983, and the resulting images are documented here on the pages, offering readers a new, personal insight into the late artist the person." —GALERIEMAGAZINE.COM

Lee Jaffe is an artist, photographer, filmmaker, musician, and producer. J. Faith Almiron is a New York based writer, editor, and cultural studies professor.