Keith Haring’s Interesting Art

Posted by Aditya on May 3rd, 2012

Keith Haring was born on 4 May 1958 in Reading Pennsylvania. Since his young age under the influence of his father, Dr.Seuss and Walt Disney he developed interest in Art and learnt the basic skills in cartooning. After completion of graduation he joined in an Art school in Pittsburgh to learn professional art. Soon he left the school realizing that he has no interest for learning professional art. However he started learning art of his own and held a solo exhibition of his work at Pittsburgh crafts center in 1978.

Haring left Pittsburgh and went to New York City in the same year and joined in a school for learning Visual arts. Here he made several friends outside with fellow artists. He organized several exhibitions and performances at club 57 and other places. Haring influenced and inspired by the work of Jean Dubuffet, Pierre Alenchinsky, William Burroughs, Brion Gysin and Robert Henry’s manifesto “The Art spirit” determined to devote his career for creating a true public art.

In 1980 Haring found an effective medium to communicate with a wider group of audience by creating drawings in white chalk on blank paper panels throughout the subway station. Haring did a tremendous job in producing hundreds of drawings during 1980-1985. The subway became his laboratory to experiment his ideas with simple line drawings. During 1980-89 he got an international recognition and participated in several solo exhibitions. During this period he developed watch designs for Swatch and an advertising campaign for Absolut Vodka and created murals throughout the world.

During 1986 he opened a Pop shop for selling T-shirts, toys, posters, magnets and buttons painting his images. He also painted the entire shop with an abstract black on white mural and created a striking retail environment. Though he was criticized for this unperturbed he committed to spread his art to wide audience as much as possible and he got full support from his friend’s mentors and fans.

In 1988 he was diagnosed with AIDS and 1989 he established Keith Haring Foundation with an aim to support AIDS organizations and children’s programs and to expand his art work through exhibitions, publications and the licensing of his images. Haring was able to attract people from all over the world by expressing universal concepts on birth, death, love, sex and war using his line art with directness of his messages. He was recognized universally as a visual artist of the 20th century.

Sadly at a young age of 31 Haring passed away from the world on February 16, 1990 with AIDS complications. Though he died he is remembered by his great art exhibited in several major museums in the world.

Keith Haring Art
Image Source: Visentico