Famed jewelers Tiffany & Co. teased a new ad campaign featuring JAY-Z and his wife Beyoncé called “About Love” on Sunday (August 22). But neither the “priceless” diamonds they were advertising nor the famous couple themselves were the star attraction. Instead, it was the rare Jean-Michel Basquiat painting hanging in the background that made the most noise.
Basquiat, who died of a drug overdose in 1988 at the age of 27, left behind a treasure trove of work, but this particular painting had never been viewed by the public. According to WWD, Tiffany recently acquired the robin egg blue artwork, which had been in the possession of a private collector since the early ’80s.
Shot in Los Angeles at the iconic Orum House, the ad shows Beyoncé in a form fitting black dress, mesh evening gloves and an updo hairstyle, an obvious nod to Audrey Hepburn’s character in the 1961 rom-com Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Around her neck sits a massive, $30 million Tiffany yellow diamond necklace, a stone Hepburn had famously worn while promoting the film.
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JAY-Z, on the other hand, sports a suit with Jean Schlumberger’s legendary Bird on a Rock brooch, repurposed as a set of stylish cufflinks.
But not everybody is happy about the ad. Shortly after the ad teaser dropped, Basquiat became a trending Twitter topic as people wondered how the famously anti-capitalist artist would feel about his work being used to sell jewelry.
“Basquiat wasn’t the type of person or artist to approve of his pieces being used in an ad from multiple billionaires (uncontextualized, at that),” one person wrote on Twitter. “His art was all about pain & beauty in low places, so, it comes across as a tone deaf & flippant flex on his legacy.”
Another added, “Insane to me that rich people can just buy art from artists who have passed and no one else gets to see it, kinda gross imo like these pieces should be able to be seen by everyone. That’s literally what Basquiat woulda wanted.”
Despite the backlash, Tiffany & Co. is putting a lot of money into the yearlong campaign with the Carters, which includes a short film with Beyoncé singing “Moon River” to Hov. The full ad will be unveiled on September 3 and include a takeover of all the digital billboards in New York’s Times Square.
But for now, reactions aren’t so favorable. Check out some of them below.
People are clowns. Everyone just looks for reasons to get upset. That’s why they’re snowflakes, and their reaction to being called snowflakes further cements their snowflake status.
@smh lol yet you come to this article and bitch like a fucking snowflake. You fucking Faggot
I come to spread wisdom among those who need to see this with perspective. You are beyond saving though. Oh well. I still wish you see the light some day.
Y’all really be up here quoting Twitter handles “Temperamental Pu$$y juice” and “Battery taster extreme” as if this shit is some news. Y’all are fucked.
People complaining about petty shit that doesn’t really matter.
There is no such thing as being “tone def”. Whats a popular opinion to one group might be totally irrelevant to another group. Rich people gonna do rich people shit. You dont like rich people shit, stop reading rich peoples posts on social media. Go read some poor peoples posts about poor people shit. I bet you wil still find something offensive. When you start looking for shit to get offended by, the problem is YOU.
Now THATS real talk. Half these monkeys don’t know squat but want to hop on drama bandwagons. Half these people don’t even know squat about art but are now experts, like every duma$$ on social media.
Yo real talk dun word is born
word is *bond. bond. not born. so you understand without looking like a fake NY slang doctor like you do right now.
Lots of comments from people on Twitter who NEVER knew the artist in question. It’s commercial fam get over it.
FACTS
This criteria is the complete opposite of what basquiat stood for lol. He was Literally influenced by the streets and the gritty. Count on jay z to ruin something that was once so pure
Slammed by some broke tucks? Pleaseeeeee!
just some shallow bitchs think they know art.
Why two “billionaires” still doing ad campaigns? Wouldn’t they be on the decision making side? Asking out of curiosity
J is the worst entrepreneur ever if not for B he would be a hundred thousandaire
The people who feel angry about this, your life is so fuckin sad that you let something that has no affect on your personal life bother you. Social media is filled with whiny little children who have nothing going on in their lives except watching what other successful people are doing. Like this shit really matters to your life and well being..
They aren’t whining … they are stating the obvious
Like you know ish about art. Foh.
Do Jay and Bey read the comments because my comment was erased. It didn’t paint them in the most favorable of ways but it’s not like I lied.
Thank you for deleting my comment. You are some n a z i motherfuckas who are ruining hiphop.
Well .. I look at it like this.. Basquiat just got alot of publicity so in the next few days his work will get new pricetags#Rich People Problems Though..
Jayzee ought to have worn a paint covered Armani to make his Cosplay of Basquiat Authentic.