The Collaboration

The brief: New York, 1984. Andy Warhol’s star is falling. Jean-Michel Basquiat is the new wonder-kid taking the art world by storm. Set up by their agent, the two artists meet and reluctantly agree to collaborate. As everyone awaits the ‘greatest exhibition in the history of modern art’, they embark on a shared journey, both artistic and deeply personal, that re-draws both their worlds. Based on the little-known friendship between the two art giants, Anthony McCarten’ play imagines their interaction in the lead up to the infamous exhibition. We couldn’t shoot Jeremy Pope and Paul Bettany in time for the show announcement, so I initially created a graphic treatment that combined their distinctive styles. For the shoot, we decided to explore different set ups that positioned the characters as equals. Photography by Jenny Anderson