Polaroid Debuts Arty Camera Inspired By Jean-Michel Basquiat

Smile for the camera.

The legendary artwork of Jean-Michel Basquiat is its own kind of inspiration and blank canvas, so it only makes sense that his inspiration would find an outlet in the latest Polaroid camera.

Basquiat himself was often photographed via Polaroid back in his downtown NYC 1980s heyday, and the camera brand’s new offering celebrates that creativity and history in eye-catching fashion.

The new collection, consisting of a Polaroid Now Generation 2 Camera, Color i-Type Film and a shoulder strap, pays homage to the iconic New York City artist and nods to a “shared commitment to authenticity, spontaneity, and embracing imperfections,” Polaroid said in a statement announcing the camera.

The camera itself takes Basquiat’s “Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump” painting and turns it into a new kind of creative expression, another nod to other artists similarly infatuated with Polaroid (like Andy Warhol, David Bowie and Keith Haring).

“We aim to pay tribute to Basquiat’s influence, motivating us to embrace authenticity and spontaneity in our creativity,” said Oskar Smolokowski, Polaroid chairman, who also noted that “Andy Warhol and Maripol often photographed Basquiat on Polaroid film, capturing his essence, which in turn inspired Polaroid to curate this collection.”

Basquiat’s own “raw and unfiltered” style proved a natural match for Polaroid, and the company noted that his “belief in beauty through improvisation aligns with the unpredictable nature of Polaroid photography, capturing genuine moments in their unedited form.”

10 different frame designs across 8 film packs comprise the collection, with the camera available now through Polaroid for $129.99.