In a 1997 review for The Daily Telegraph, art critic Hilton Kramer begins by stating that Basquiat had no idea what the word "quality" meant. He relentlessly criticized Basquiat as a "talentless hustler" and "street-smart but otherwise invincibly ignorant", arguing that he "used his youth, his looks, his skin colour and his abundant sex appeal to win an overnight fame that proved to be his undoing" and that art dealers of the time were "as ignorant about art as Basquiat himself." In saying that Basquiat's work never rose above "that lowly artistic station" of graffiti "even when his paintings were fetching enormous prices", Kramer argued that graffiti art "acquired a cult status in certain New York art circles." He further opined, "As a result of the campaign waged by these art-world entrepreneurs on Basquiat's behalf—and their own, of course—there was never any doubt that the museums, the collectors and the media would fall into line" when talking about the marketing of Basquiat's name.
In a 1997 review for The Daily Telegraph art critic Hilton Kramer begins by stating that Basquiat had no idea what the word "quality" meant He relentlessly criticized Basquiat as a "talentless hustler" and "street-smart but otherwise invincibly ignorant" arguing that he "used his youth his looks his skin colour and his abundant sex appeal to win an overnight fame that proved to be his undoing" and that art dealers of the time were "as ignorant about art as Basquiat himself" In saying that Basquiat's work never rose above "that lowly artistic station" of graffiti "even when his paintings were fetching enormous prices" Kramer argued that graffiti art "acquired a cult status in certain New York art circles" He further opined "As a result of the campaign waged by these art-world entrepreneurs on Basquiat's behalf—and their own of course—there was never any doubt that the museums the collectors and the media would fall into line" when talking about the marketing of Basquiat's name