F  R  O  M     G  U  T  T  E  R     T  O     G  A  L  L  E  R  Y

BY GLEN HELFAND

In "Basquiat," art world egotist Julian Schnabel delivers a surprisingly likeable portrait of his late friend. "Basquiat" | Directed by Julian Schnabel "i'll no doubt eventually look boring to the art crowd," painter Julian Schnabel said in a 1987 interview. Less than a decade later it appears this notoriously egotistical artist is heeding his own prediction. In the search for new fans, last year Schnabel released a musical CD that was widely panned as a bloated vanity project. Now the larger-than-life artist has made "Basquiat," a major motion picture based on the life of his friend and fellow 1980s art star, the late Jean-Michel Basquiat. For a first feature, this surprisingly likeable film might just revitalize Schnabel's persona in art circles, as well as make a splash with hip young filmgoers. Next page: Art-world racism