Modeling Nude By Day And Begging D.J's By Night In The 80's

Madonna, the Queen of Pop, actress, activist and art collector.

Madonna may be 60 but she's still the queen with a new album - always an artist;  she now has her own fine art collection to boot.

Her new album, ‘Madame X’, continues to show the world new sides of the humanitarian who pushed boundaries and shaped the third wave of feminism women know today. ‘Madame X’ will be released on Friday June 14th and fans are roaring with excitement over the stars recent tour announcement video, but she won't be singing at an arena or a coliseum. Madonna, as she said, holding a margarita while sitting on her Cowboy co-star’s lap in sexy fishnets, will be going on a theater tour.

Madonna started in the early 1980’s in New York City, working at the Russian Tea room and modeling nude for art classes by day and begging D.J’s to play her songs at the night club Danceteria by night. Madonna visited Manhattan Nightclubs nightly where she danced with celebrity artists like Keith Haring and dated Jean Michael Basquiat. In those early days, all the star wanted was to have one song on the radio. Her first album released in September 1983 blew up the charts.

This Piece 'Bird On Money Silk' by Graffiti Artist Jean Michael Basquiat is colorful and interesting. [ Click images for more info ]

Keith Haring and Andy Warhol 1986 Jazz Poster 

Here at Seven North Art, we have hundreds of vintage posters and prints from the 1980’s.This vintage poster by Keith Haring and Andy Warhol is reminiscent of her party days in New York City. [Click images for more info]

This very rare 1983 vintage Original Madonna Poster will delight fans young and old and any music connoisseur. It captures the energy of Madonna’s early career in New York and is reminiscent of her early albums.  [Click images for more info]

Her ambition got her music on the radio, but her edge made her music successful. Before Lady Gaga and Brittney Spears, Madonna was pushing boundaries as a female icon women looked up to. Her songs, positive and uplifting, described her lovers as angelic and love as religious when the music videos usually were lusty and provocative. Her video ‘Like a Prayer’ received criticism from the Pope himself and was the first video of an interracial couple on MTV. Madonna also received plenty of criticism for ‘Papa Don't Preach’ from concerned parents about teen pregnancy. Madonna does not see herself as a feminist icon, in fact, in the beginning of her career she received criticism from feminists for displaying her sexuality. However, she knows there’s power in self expression and pride in owning who you are.  

“A woman fearlessly expressing herself and saying ‘I’m encouraging all of you to be independent, to speak your mind, to express your sexuality without shame, to not allow men to objectify you’ seemed like the natural way of where our society should be going.” …….Madonna

This original poster ‘Sex and Sushi’ featured in artist John Carroll Doyle’s book ‘Femininity’, a collection of black and white photographs, explores the female form and seeks to strip away the shame women feel about their sexuality. [Click images for more info]

Another print that reminds me of Madonna, is this one 'Touch.’ I can almost hear her singing ‘Erotic’ in the background.  [Click images for more info]

This interesting Frida Kahlo print mixes color with black and white like the push and pull of emotion! [Click images for more info]

A lifelong lover of Art, Madonna used her first major paychecks to buy Frida Kahlo prints and has continued collecting art to this day. While she was the first at a lot of things, Madonna wasn’t the first singer who was inspired by art. Music has shaped art and art has shaped music from the beginning.

Seven North Art has amazing collection of music posters and prints by artists around the world. For more posters click here visit our poster gallery.

Do you plan on listening to Madonna’s new album? We would love to hear from you. For more information on Madonna’s new album Madame X, click Here to read the interview by Vanessa Grigoriadis in The New York Times Magazine.