Pages

Friday, May 4, 2012

Keith Haring


Initially viewed simply as a graffiti artist who used vacant advertising boards in the New York subway as his canvas in the early 1980s, Keith Haring (1959-1990) provoked debate on the street and within the exclusive art establishment with his radiant comic figures and increasingly political messages.

Arriving in New York in 1978 to study at the School of Visual Arts, Haring was inspired by the East Village club scene identified with punk and rap music, breakdancing and graffiti as a public statement of personal expression. Working with remarkable speed and clarity, Haring's images convey a conspicuous energy in the brevity of his line, bold color relationships conveying his early interest in graphic design, and simplified figurative forms.

As he became prominent with the gallery and museum world, Haring provoked additional debate by purposely commercializing his own work, reproducing his signature figures on an array of products and opening his own retail stores including Wham Bam in Miami and the Pop Shop in New York. Success afforded him the opportunity to control his own market and remain independent, crucial to his vision of his work.

From 1985 until his death in 1990 from complications due to AIDS, Haring concentrated much of his extraordinary energy on visual political messages, particularly focusing on generating action and conveying the dangers and effects of AIDS.








































































































Boxer




Sculpture in the plaza of Lever House, New York City




Untitled




Julia






Link

Keith Haring wallpaper

“Keith Haring: 1978-1982″ is a new exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum that focuses on his early career from ages 20-24. The exhibition runs through July 8, 2012.

Although he only lived until age 31, Haring was very prolific, popular, and influential. Haring was born in 1958 in Reading, PA, but it was New York, where he moved in 1978, that launched his career as an internationally known pop artist.

Haring passed away in 1990, but his art continues to influence fashion and entertainment. Designers and brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Patricia Field, Schott, Zara, and Nicholas Kirkwood have collaborated with the Keith Haring Foundation on clothing and accessories.

The Brooklyn Museum exhibition includes 155 works on paper, plus 150 archival objects, including black-and-white subway drawings, experimental videos, sketchbooks, journals, fliers, and documentary photographs.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...