Basquiat: Power

In his powerful portrait of boxing icon Sugar Ray Robinson, Jean-Michel Basquiat captures the image of a warrior, fighter and Black athlete transcending into the realm of hero and icon. The team at Christie's challenged us to create a film that both showcased the visceral power of this work and celebrated the icon status of both artist and subject. In less than 72 hours, we secured a custom boxing ring, cast two real-world boxers and a jazz drummer, and designed a complex lighting design and motion-control production using the Bolt X to capture precise and easily-replicable movements around the ring. The result is a compelling and evocative film that audiences enjoyed both ahead of the auction and in the salesroom before the spectacular lot came across the block and achieved $32.7 million.