BASQUAIT -1985 - MARK SCHWARTZ

April 29, 2018Mark Schwartz

I had met Jean Michael several times thru Warhol in the mid 1980’s. I have always admired him as a person first . This rendering was done at a meeting with Warhol present at Basquiat’s studio. The colors used reflected his work at the time .

Schwartz started his career back in the early 1980’s working with famed shoe designer Roger Vivier, going on to design for some of the biggest names in the industry, and continuing today to create private collections for clients looking for something truly unique (Oprah, Madonna, Katie Couric, Sharon Stone, Lady Gaga and Julia Roberts to name a few).

Having started his career in Parabiago, Italy, 37 years ago, Schwartz still works and resides there as a partner in a factory with two other Italian shoemakers. Schwartz, a protégé of Andy Warhol, has also been creating unique and sought after paintings, exploring the intimate relationship between women and their shoes.

Warhol encouraged Schwartz to turn his shoe sketches back in 1983 into whimsical paintings and ever since then Schwartz's works have been collected all over the world.

“Shoes provide the foundation for the image that a woman wants to broadcast to the world. Every woman can change that message every day or more if she chooses. Shoes are an extension of a woman’s mood, and should be observed and documented accordingly.”

- Mark Schwartz