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Keith Haring. Linia, która zmieniła sztukę
Znasz jego dzieła, teraz poznaj artystę.
Na początku lat 80. XX wieku na ulicach Nowego Jorku zaroiło się od komiksowych rysunków. Na ścianach metra, chodnikach i budynkach pojawiły się raczkujące dzieci, szczekające psy i wirujące białe linie.
Nikt nie wiedział, że ich autorem jest niepozorny okularnik z małego miasteczka w Pensylwanii.
A już na pewno nikt nie sądził, że ten chłopak stanie się ikoną undergroundowej sztuki Nowego Jorku.
Obrazy Keitha Haringa wkrótce znalazły się na ubraniach Vivienne Westwood i na okładce płyty Davida Bowiego. To jemu Madonna zaśpiewała na urodzinach Like a Virgin. Jean-Michel Basquiat był stałym gościem jego imprez. A Andy Warhol zapraszał go do swojej legendarnej Fabryki.
Keith jako jeden z pierwszych zaczął burzyć mur między sztuką wysoką a popkulturą.
Bohomazy, za które został wiele razy aresztowany, niosły jednak ważny przekaz. Jego sztuka była manifestem wolności, wyrazem walki z wykluczeniem, sprzeciwem wobec ignorancji polityków.
Śpieszył się, żeby o tym wszystkim opowiedzieć, jakby wiedział, że jego życie będzie tak tragicznie krótkie.
Rysował jak szalony, a miasto było jego płótnem.
Brad Gooch spotkał się z ponad dwustoma osobami, które znały Keitha Haringa. Dzięki temu udało mu się ukazać geniusz artysty, ponadczasowość jego dzieł i ich ogromny wpływ na sztukę współczesną.
To historia pełna barw, gestów, głośnej muzyki i ciszy ostatnich dni, w której linia Haringa staje się najkrótszą drogą do zrozumienia nowojorskiej bohemy artystycznej lat 80. To opowieść o sztuce, wolności, ludzkiej wrażliwości i niegasnącej potrzebie wyrażania siebie.
Na początku lat 80. XX wieku na ulicach Nowego Jorku zaroiło się od komiksowych rysunków. Na ścianach metra, chodnikach i budynkach pojawiły się raczkujące dzieci, szczekające psy i wirujące białe linie.
Nikt nie wiedział, że ich autorem jest niepozorny okularnik z małego miasteczka w Pensylwanii.
A już na pewno nikt nie sądził, że ten chłopak stanie się ikoną undergroundowej sztuki Nowego Jorku.
Obrazy Keitha Haringa wkrótce znalazły się na ubraniach Vivienne Westwood i na okładce płyty Davida Bowiego. To jemu Madonna zaśpiewała na urodzinach Like a Virgin. Jean-Michel Basquiat był stałym gościem jego imprez. A Andy Warhol zapraszał go do swojej legendarnej Fabryki.
Keith jako jeden z pierwszych zaczął burzyć mur między sztuką wysoką a popkulturą.
Bohomazy, za które został wiele razy aresztowany, niosły jednak ważny przekaz. Jego sztuka była manifestem wolności, wyrazem walki z wykluczeniem, sprzeciwem wobec ignorancji polityków.
Śpieszył się, żeby o tym wszystkim opowiedzieć, jakby wiedział, że jego życie będzie tak tragicznie krótkie.
Rysował jak szalony, a miasto było jego płótnem.
Brad Gooch spotkał się z ponad dwustoma osobami, które znały Keitha Haringa. Dzięki temu udało mu się ukazać geniusz artysty, ponadczasowość jego dzieł i ich ogromny wpływ na sztukę współczesną.
To historia pełna barw, gestów, głośnej muzyki i ciszy ostatnich dni, w której linia Haringa staje się najkrótszą drogą do zrozumienia nowojorskiej bohemy artystycznej lat 80. To opowieść o sztuce, wolności, ludzkiej wrażliwości i niegasnącej potrzebie wyrażania siebie.
576 pages, Hardcover
Published October 15, 2025
164 people are currently reading
5224 people want to read
About the author
Brad Gooch
28 books107 followersBrad Gooch is the author of Flannery: A Life of Flannery O’Connor (Little, Brown, 2009.) His previous books include City Poet: The Life and Times of Frank O’Hara; as well as Godtalk: Travels in Spiritual America; three novels--Scary Kisses, The Golden Age of Promiscuity, Zombie00; a collection of stories, Jailbait and Other Stories, chosen by Donald Barthelme for a Pushcart Foundation Writer’s Choice Award; a collection of poems, The Daily News; and two memoirs, Finding the Boyfriend Within and Dating the Greek Gods.
His work has been featured in numerous magazines including: The New Republic, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, Travel and Leisure, Partisan Review, The Paris Review, The Los Angeles Times Book Review, Art Forum, Harper’s Bazaar, The Nation, and regularly on The Daily Beast.
A Guggenheim fellow in Biography, he has received a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship, and a Furthermore grant in publishing from the J.M. Kaplan Fund.
A professor of English at William Paterson University, he earned his PhD at Columbia University, and lives in New York City.
His work has been featured in numerous magazines including: The New Republic, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, Travel and Leisure, Partisan Review, The Paris Review, The Los Angeles Times Book Review, Art Forum, Harper’s Bazaar, The Nation, and regularly on The Daily Beast.
A Guggenheim fellow in Biography, he has received a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship, and a Furthermore grant in publishing from the J.M. Kaplan Fund.
A professor of English at William Paterson University, he earned his PhD at Columbia University, and lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
July 15, 2024
I came to this biography after seeing an exhibit of Haring’s work for Luna Luna, an outdoor amusement park, this spring. My personal favorite of all the extant pieces.
Subway chalk drawing blurring performance art and graffiti. Brilliant really, to use the blank advertisement frames covered in only black paper and the reintroduction of figurative expression in art.
The genesis of the barking dogs: living in SoCal in Santa Ana while a toddler Keith’s family lived upstairs in an apartment house. “I imagined they were like wolves,” [. . .]”I must have been only two. I had these dreams about these dogs at the bottom of the stairs that I was petrified of.”
Interesting intersection of Warhol, Madonna, Grace Jones and others. But, the specter of AIDS was sobering. But someone as inherently optimistic as Haring would only reach this resolution for his impending mortality at such a young age:
Wholeheartedly recommend this biography. It’s not short but it really gives an understanding of the influences on and progression of Haring’s work as well as the zeitgeist of NYC in the 80s.
Haring’s humanism, unusually so for the period, was unironic. “The reason that the ‘baby’ has become my logo or signature,” he wrote, “is that it is the purest and most positive experience of human existence. Children are the bearers of the life in its simplest and most joyous form.” One art critic wrote of the baby’s rays as”the first believable twentieth-century halo.”
Subway chalk drawing blurring performance art and graffiti. Brilliant really, to use the blank advertisement frames covered in only black paper and the reintroduction of figurative expression in art.
The genesis of the barking dogs: living in SoCal in Santa Ana while a toddler Keith’s family lived upstairs in an apartment house. “I imagined they were like wolves,” [. . .]”I must have been only two. I had these dreams about these dogs at the bottom of the stairs that I was petrified of.”
Interesting intersection of Warhol, Madonna, Grace Jones and others. But, the specter of AIDS was sobering. But someone as inherently optimistic as Haring would only reach this resolution for his impending mortality at such a young age:
It wouldn’t matter if you live until you were seventy-five, there would still be things that you wished you would have accomplished. You could work for several lifetimes. If I could clone myself there will still be too much work to do, even if there were five of me. And there are no regrets, really. Part of the reason that I'm not having trouble facing the reality of death is that it’s not a limitation, in a way. It could have happened any time and it is going to happen to someone any time, If you live your life according to that, death is irrelevant. Everything I’m doing right now is exactly what I want to do.
Wholeheartedly recommend this biography. It’s not short but it really gives an understanding of the influences on and progression of Haring’s work as well as the zeitgeist of NYC in the 80s.
March 11, 2024
This has to be the most authoritative biography of Keith Haring to date. What an incredible feat. Brad Gooch is brilliant and his eloquence comes through in crafting this narrative of one of America's premier modern artists who had his life snuffed out much too soon. I'm an avid fan of Keith Haring's art, but I didn't know much about him as a person beyond some basic facts. I'm glad I picked this up.
The reader is treated to a comprehensive look at his life, but the biography is written in a way that encourages the reader to engage with Keith Haring as if we know him personally. Reading Radiant put me right on the streets of New York, watching Keith paint his works in his sleeveless shirts and tight blue jeans. Evocative is a word that comes to mind, but I don't think it fully encapsulates just how emotive this book is. I purchased a hardcover copy of this book because I just need to have it on my shelf. Thank you, Mr. Gooch, for crafting a novel worth keeping in my collection forever.
Thank you to the author and the publisher, Harper, for this ARC in exchange for my review.
The reader is treated to a comprehensive look at his life, but the biography is written in a way that encourages the reader to engage with Keith Haring as if we know him personally. Reading Radiant put me right on the streets of New York, watching Keith paint his works in his sleeveless shirts and tight blue jeans. Evocative is a word that comes to mind, but I don't think it fully encapsulates just how emotive this book is. I purchased a hardcover copy of this book because I just need to have it on my shelf. Thank you, Mr. Gooch, for crafting a novel worth keeping in my collection forever.
Thank you to the author and the publisher, Harper, for this ARC in exchange for my review.
April 2, 2024
This is an incredible accomplishment. Brad Gooch’s years of archival and other research is astounding. I enjoyed reading this book so much—he captures both the scenes that Haring was a part of as well as his artistic process and vision.
May 21, 2024
I didn’t expect to cry at the end of this but that’s life. A beautiful journey!
October 27, 2025
„Linia, która zmieniła sztukę”, to historia człowieka, który „wyważył” drzwi galerii sztuki i wypuścił artystyczne wizje wprost na tętniące życiem ulice Nowego Jorku. A że Haring był charyzmatyczny i niepokorny to miasto stało się piękne.
Groch rekonstruuje z niesamowitą dbałością drogę, jaką artysta miał do pokonania, od nieśmiałego gościa z Pensylwanii, po ikonę, która przez wielu stawiana jest na równi z legendarnym Andym Warholem. Ciekawym skutkiem ubocznym przedstawiania życia Haringa jest kronika lat 80 tych z rozkwitem klubów, buntem, rewolucją artystyczną i także tą mroczniejszą stroną, czyli epidemią AIDS, która wielu ludzi tamtego pokolenia napiętnowała.
Portret jaki Gooch ukazywał był niezwykle emocjonalny, ponieważ autor nie idealizuje artysty, ukazuje jego rozdarcie, gdzie spontaniczność mieszała się ze świadomością przemijania, a w tle było jeszcze poczucie artystycznej misji do spełnienia. Wielką przyjemność dało mi czytanie o relacjach z artystami jak, chociażby wspomnianym już Warholem, czy Basquiatem. Ukazanie jak te znajomości się docierały w poszukiwaniu wspólnego artystycznego języka, było niezwykle inspirujące, zwłaszcza mając teraz świadomość, jak obecnie Ci wizjonerzy są postrzegani i cenieni.
Autorowi udało się historię oddać w sposób żywy i niezwykle obrazowy, gdzie procesy twórcze Haringa były ucztą, a jego fascynacja rytmem, miejską energią nawet mi się udzieliła. Biografia ukazuje, jak potrzeba komunikacji może niejako zdefiniować życie i stać się wyrazem wolności. Historia Haringa inspiruje i uświadamia zarazem jak bardzo należy mówić własnym głosem, iść własnym nurtem nawet, a może zwłaszcza wtedy, gdy otoczenie wydaje się nie być na to gotowe.
Inspirująca książka o geniuszu, który nawet będąc u kresu, tworzył na niesamowitej intensywności.
dnf
August 12, 2024Dnf @ 37%
Sorry to this man, but I could not be bothered to continue. I love reading about the intricacies about a person's life, but oh my god:
1) we don't need every quote of every person involved in the subject's life; 1-2 quotes and we get the picture
2) do we really need to describe the lives of every single individual that crossed the subject's path?
3) unless you're involved with the art world, maybe don't include all the subtle nuances of it for the every-reader
I love art and art history, but this wore my patience down to a matchstick. This book needed another round of editing and condensing. If you're an avid - and I do mean AVID - fan of Haring, then you'll probably enjoy this book more than I did.
Sorry to this man, but I could not be bothered to continue. I love reading about the intricacies about a person's life, but oh my god:
1) we don't need every quote of every person involved in the subject's life; 1-2 quotes and we get the picture
2) do we really need to describe the lives of every single individual that crossed the subject's path?
3) unless you're involved with the art world, maybe don't include all the subtle nuances of it for the every-reader
I love art and art history, but this wore my patience down to a matchstick. This book needed another round of editing and condensing. If you're an avid - and I do mean AVID - fan of Haring, then you'll probably enjoy this book more than I did.
October 5, 2025
If you are not already a fan of Kieth Haring’s work, or if you are not familiar with his output, this book would not serve as a good introduction. For one thing it lacks a lot of photographs of the artist’s work. It has some, but not enough to provide the uninitiated with appropriate context. I am not faulting the book here, I am only pointing out that there are other books on the same topic that allow you to bask in the visuals. And since Kieth was a visual artist . . .
That said I sort of fell into this book heart first and hardly came up for air until the ending, which naturally had me in tears. To this day I still remember where I was when I first heard of Kieth’s passing. I felt this loss as hard as the loss of a relative or a beloved pet. Both he and his art meant a lot to me and its loss signalled for me one of those holes from his paintings that barking dogs jumped through.
NYC in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s was alive with throbbing promise. This was one of the last periods of time when a young artist could afford to actually live there and gather with like minded imaginations to conjure up a new language for life and creative expression. And a new language was what Haring imported to the black canvas of the subway walls. It was a language for which there was no dictionary, but none was needed, for when people saw his chalk drawings, repeated in station after station, they each independently conjured up some meaning. The more these visions were shared, the larger and more cohesive that meaning became.
This was art brought to the masses. Kieth was insistent that he was much more than a mere illustrator, but a fine artist in his own right. Like his heroes before him (namely Disney and Warhol), he felt compelled to create work that was not only accessible, but affordable (he capped his museum pieces at no more than $9,999, though today they fetch much more in resale). He crossed all kinds of class boundaries with his work and was criticized and diminished for his popularity, but the fact that his work still resonated decades after his untimely death speaks volumes. Art, after all, is supposed to feel universal, and the sorts of people who gravitated toward Keith's art and became lifelong fans still leaves the art world scratching its head in elitist awe.
This volume successfully brought me back to the NYC of such promise, the pulsating sounds that blasted from the Paradise Garage, the neon colored subway trains, the breakdancing and hip-hop, the trance inducing house music, and the joy of being alive to dance until dawn. I don’t mean to sound nostalgic here for this was also the time of the emerging “gay cancer” that turned funerals into the week's most crowded social event, at least toward the end when some of the heat was starting to dissipate. All good things must come to an end.
Haring was an artist of his time and he very much helped to make and define that time, at least for me but I am sure for many others as well. I am thankful to the author of this book for allowing me to remember and somewhat relive those exciting times when it began to feel, at least for a brief moment, that our collective recognition of a world going mad could materialize into a slim hope that we might dance long enough to effect some positive change. We have this book and Kieth’s artistic legacy to thank for that.
That said I sort of fell into this book heart first and hardly came up for air until the ending, which naturally had me in tears. To this day I still remember where I was when I first heard of Kieth’s passing. I felt this loss as hard as the loss of a relative or a beloved pet. Both he and his art meant a lot to me and its loss signalled for me one of those holes from his paintings that barking dogs jumped through.
NYC in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s was alive with throbbing promise. This was one of the last periods of time when a young artist could afford to actually live there and gather with like minded imaginations to conjure up a new language for life and creative expression. And a new language was what Haring imported to the black canvas of the subway walls. It was a language for which there was no dictionary, but none was needed, for when people saw his chalk drawings, repeated in station after station, they each independently conjured up some meaning. The more these visions were shared, the larger and more cohesive that meaning became.
This was art brought to the masses. Kieth was insistent that he was much more than a mere illustrator, but a fine artist in his own right. Like his heroes before him (namely Disney and Warhol), he felt compelled to create work that was not only accessible, but affordable (he capped his museum pieces at no more than $9,999, though today they fetch much more in resale). He crossed all kinds of class boundaries with his work and was criticized and diminished for his popularity, but the fact that his work still resonated decades after his untimely death speaks volumes. Art, after all, is supposed to feel universal, and the sorts of people who gravitated toward Keith's art and became lifelong fans still leaves the art world scratching its head in elitist awe.
This volume successfully brought me back to the NYC of such promise, the pulsating sounds that blasted from the Paradise Garage, the neon colored subway trains, the breakdancing and hip-hop, the trance inducing house music, and the joy of being alive to dance until dawn. I don’t mean to sound nostalgic here for this was also the time of the emerging “gay cancer” that turned funerals into the week's most crowded social event, at least toward the end when some of the heat was starting to dissipate. All good things must come to an end.
Haring was an artist of his time and he very much helped to make and define that time, at least for me but I am sure for many others as well. I am thankful to the author of this book for allowing me to remember and somewhat relive those exciting times when it began to feel, at least for a brief moment, that our collective recognition of a world going mad could materialize into a slim hope that we might dance long enough to effect some positive change. We have this book and Kieth’s artistic legacy to thank for that.
September 26, 2024
Absolutely loved learning about Keith Haring, his approach to art, and his overall legacy. Teared up at the end 🥲
July 24, 2024
Oh my god I know so much about Keith Haring now. The things I loved about this book: the cameos, the portrait of NYC in the ‘80s, Keith’s start in street art and the reconstructions of the scene based on Andy Warhol’s diaries.
I had no idea Madonna was the real deal, surprising because it feels like superstars are all manufactured commodities now. But there she was, debuting songs and performances in gay clubs and paying for people’s medical care and apartments as the community and her closest friends were devastated by HIV and AIDS. Learning more about the criminal tragedy that is the ongoing AIDS crisis was, at turns, infuriating, inspiring and beyond sad.
I enjoyed reading about the tension between fine art and commercial art in Haring’s practice. That seems to still be present, though they license the fuck out of his work to support the Keith Haring Foundation, which seems like a worthy cause.
I loved when Matt Dillon was mentioned (check out his social media, he’s a wonderful artist too) and learning that Dennis Hopper gave Keith’s eulogy.
What a prolific artist, completely ubiquitous now. It’s shocking that he died at age 32 and left the legacy he did. Not just his art (commercialized or not), but his activism. Ugh and the way 2024 feels like an echo of 1980.
There’s a BBC/PBS documentary that would be worth a watch if you can’t stomach a 500 page book (this took me forever to read), but at the very least go watch Grace Jones’ “I’m Not Perfect (But I’m Perfect for You)” video. You’ll be happy you did.
I had no idea Madonna was the real deal, surprising because it feels like superstars are all manufactured commodities now. But there she was, debuting songs and performances in gay clubs and paying for people’s medical care and apartments as the community and her closest friends were devastated by HIV and AIDS. Learning more about the criminal tragedy that is the ongoing AIDS crisis was, at turns, infuriating, inspiring and beyond sad.
I enjoyed reading about the tension between fine art and commercial art in Haring’s practice. That seems to still be present, though they license the fuck out of his work to support the Keith Haring Foundation, which seems like a worthy cause.
I loved when Matt Dillon was mentioned (check out his social media, he’s a wonderful artist too) and learning that Dennis Hopper gave Keith’s eulogy.
What a prolific artist, completely ubiquitous now. It’s shocking that he died at age 32 and left the legacy he did. Not just his art (commercialized or not), but his activism. Ugh and the way 2024 feels like an echo of 1980.
There’s a BBC/PBS documentary that would be worth a watch if you can’t stomach a 500 page book (this took me forever to read), but at the very least go watch Grace Jones’ “I’m Not Perfect (But I’m Perfect for You)” video. You’ll be happy you did.
April 7, 2024
A wonderful tribute to a unique painter and human being.
I myself lived through those years, a homosexual and a painter , more uptown and not as clubby and druggy as Keith Haring's world and the book touched me deeply. It is beautifully written, lacking in some humor at the beginnings at least for me but ever so sad at the end. It brought Keith Haring to life for all of us, always
I myself lived through those years, a homosexual and a painter , more uptown and not as clubby and druggy as Keith Haring's world and the book touched me deeply. It is beautifully written, lacking in some humor at the beginnings at least for me but ever so sad at the end. It brought Keith Haring to life for all of us, always
June 6, 2024
Wow. This biography of Keith Haring was SO good. I devoured it. It’s an almost 20 hour audiobook, and normally I mostly listen to audiobooks on my commute. I’m off work this week, so I found myself listening to this one constantly. Making dinner, cleaning, doing laundry, eating, sitting on the porch… I could not get enough.
It’s so funny that I didn’t know Keith Haring by name, but I looked up his name with “artist” and the very first image was The Radiant Baby, which I had seen before!
One thing I truly loved about this novel was the deep dive into his early life, especially his time spent in Pittsburgh. I had no idea he was an apprentice at The Mattress Factory (an amazing modern art museum in Pittsburgh that I visited a few years ago). That was super fun to find out!
Keith had relatable struggles I feel, especially with his looks. While he was confident in his art, his personal life did not always show the same confidence. I thought it was so cool how randomly other famous people show up in this biography (particularly Madonna) and I loved the linear way the story of his life was told.
Keith was such an interesting man whose life was cut so short. The chapter about his death at the end was so sad to see him deteriorate so quickly.
If you’re looking for a portrait of an 80s artist who was political and still had important ties to the art community today - this one is for you. The audio was fantastic as well! I truly enjoyed the narrator.
It’s so funny that I didn’t know Keith Haring by name, but I looked up his name with “artist” and the very first image was The Radiant Baby, which I had seen before!
One thing I truly loved about this novel was the deep dive into his early life, especially his time spent in Pittsburgh. I had no idea he was an apprentice at The Mattress Factory (an amazing modern art museum in Pittsburgh that I visited a few years ago). That was super fun to find out!
Keith had relatable struggles I feel, especially with his looks. While he was confident in his art, his personal life did not always show the same confidence. I thought it was so cool how randomly other famous people show up in this biography (particularly Madonna) and I loved the linear way the story of his life was told.
Keith was such an interesting man whose life was cut so short. The chapter about his death at the end was so sad to see him deteriorate so quickly.
If you’re looking for a portrait of an 80s artist who was political and still had important ties to the art community today - this one is for you. The audio was fantastic as well! I truly enjoyed the narrator.
January 8, 2025
Comprehensive. It really takes you along for the ups and downs of Keith’s short but brilliant life. Sometimes I thought, is his art just whatever? And other times I thought he’s a genius and major artist, especially as he developed into the late 80s. Could’ve been more dishy, but I think every memoir could be more dishy; it’s kind of what I’m there for. I had no idea he and Andy Warhol had such a close relationship but makes sense. I loved hearing about his sweet times interacting, taking care of, and making art with children; it spoke to his innocence, which he never really shed. I would’ve dropped major cash at the Pop Shop! Would recommend.
July 17, 2025
The first piece of Keith Haring art I remember seeing was the cover of 1987’s A Very Special Christmas and for whatever reason, I was just immediately drawn to him. After reading this biography, I think I have a better understanding of why - his art was a whole extension of his being and transmitted everything he believed in.
I’m such a fan of biographies that not only tell a persons life story, but serve as a time capsule for the period they lived in and this was exactly that. Equally beautiful and devastating, I feel like I walked away with an even greater appreciation for Keith Haring’s art, message, and person.
I’m such a fan of biographies that not only tell a persons life story, but serve as a time capsule for the period they lived in and this was exactly that. Equally beautiful and devastating, I feel like I walked away with an even greater appreciation for Keith Haring’s art, message, and person.
August 6, 2024
truth I did only read the first 100 pages and the last 150 because I had to return my book to the library sjdjdjdj but this book was so wow, really tuned you into the man that keith was. i felt like I was reading his personal journals and seeing his art in a whole other light. he was so awesome, and a great gay icon<3 makes sense why him and madonna were besties
August 20, 2025
SIX WORD REVIEW: The despair & resolve he felt diagnosed.
August 27, 2025
Occasionally clumsy but overall interesting and compelling and atmospheric. S/o to @kasey
October 2, 2024
This is an exhaustive biography of Keith Haring. I didn’t care for how it was organized. Are we in 1982 or 1987? It kept changing.
August 15, 2025
it seems that artists are never ready to die
July 29, 2025
This book! I can’t say it’s for everyone, but wow was it fascinating and comprehensive about Haring, his art, and his world. The historical context was smart and despite knowing how it ended, I still cried at the end. Long live Keith Haring.
July 22, 2024
Beautifully and lovingly written, this tome by Brad Gooch covers the entire life of Keith Haring. I have read several other books on his life, but this was the most comprehensive that I have come across. The book starts with telling the story of how Keith's parents met and settled in Kutztown, PA to raise their small family. The were conservative and products of the 50's, not a part of the counter culture that their son embraced at an early age. Keith seemed to have an early awareness of his sexuality at an early age, but also had girlfriends (even a serious one) through his teenage years and early twenties.
The second part of the book, focuses on Keith's metoric rise in the art world, his friendships with Basquiat and Warhol, as well as his relationships with Juan DuBose and others.
The final part raises the spectre of AIDS as well of the death of Warhol and Basquiat, Keith's many other friends and lovers, and ultimately Keith.
I was surprised to learn that even on Keith's deathbed he and his family never spoke openly about his Queerness even though he had had boyfriends and it being a central part of his work.
Keith may be said to some to have sold out to the art world, but I disagree. He brought an accessibility and fun to high art and gave other young people finding themselves hope and dignity.
The second part of the book, focuses on Keith's metoric rise in the art world, his friendships with Basquiat and Warhol, as well as his relationships with Juan DuBose and others.
The final part raises the spectre of AIDS as well of the death of Warhol and Basquiat, Keith's many other friends and lovers, and ultimately Keith.
I was surprised to learn that even on Keith's deathbed he and his family never spoke openly about his Queerness even though he had had boyfriends and it being a central part of his work.
Keith may be said to some to have sold out to the art world, but I disagree. He brought an accessibility and fun to high art and gave other young people finding themselves hope and dignity.
August 13, 2024
I listened to this as an audio book and it took about a month of listening off and on.
Keith Haring is the originator of the term and practice of 'artivism' as a gay man living through the 60's - 90's, seeing and being afflicted by the AIDS crisis, and eventually passing from AIDS Related Complications later in his life after being told he no longer had AIDS. He grew up in a suburb to a simple family in a rural area, learning art from the get go and practicing shared creativity with his father. He was defiant in youth, and remained so throughout his entire life. He never wanted to blend in, and wanted to stand out - having SOMETHING to SAY! Keith Haring also loved kids, and led a lot of child-friendly art events and invited children to draw on his murals with him, down to the very somber and heartfelt end. Once Haring made it to New York City, he began being a subway and street graffiti artist. He was enamored with a tagger who he later found out was Jean-Michel Basquiat. He became close friends throughout his entire life with him. He also knew Andy Warhol closely. These American artists were some of the greats. Keith Haring was widely known for his staunch support of public health education and touched on AIDS in a lot of his work. It changed his entire life. However, long before his diagnosis, he was also reinventing the wheel so to speak in the world of design. With his iconic symbols - characters you could call them, as they took on a life of their own and became repeated imagery in his lexicon of graphics and parts of his identity to choose from. He also often reflected the world in his world. From crawling newborn babies, to barking dogs, to giant penises forcibly turned into "snakes" after the local French authorities took offense to the mural of two queer men jacking each other off. Keith Haring left a huge impact wherever he went, always leaving murals in his wake. He did them for free, sometimes for pay, sometimes for a meal, sometimes for a story, or a favor. Or for an activist's cause. He also fought back against the "war on drugs" from a personal position of losing friends to crack cocaine. Although the "war on drugs" became a pipeline to forced prison labor for communities of colour enacted by the Reagan administration, some of the efforts had the right idea and that idea is what Keith drew upon when making his technically illegal mural - his mural being where the term "CRACK IS WHACK" originated from during the Reagan era. After being jailed for painting the mural, he was recognized for the efforts to fight back against cocaine addiction and death and the mural was made into a historical marker. There's so many other big moments too.
Above all to understand Keith Haring is to understand his ideas on "art is for everybody" which was represented in how he supported and uplifted fellow artists around himself. He also eventually opened a "pop shop" that brought his art down from the galleries in to the masses' hands for an affordable cost on t-shirts, stickers, tote bags, etc.
There is so many layers to Keith Haring's brief life that he spent on this world. He did not live past the beginning of his 30's. He died lovingly surrounded by family and those who loved him in his life and knew him. His parents held him close as he passed from AIDS related complications in 1990.
As an artist, Keith Haring is now a phenomenal and needed example that inspires me to work harder and be kinder and get the message out today about our current pandemic - the COVID-19 pandemic. I want to take the same passion Keith had to the world of 'artivism' in modern day. May Keith's memory always be a blessing to everyone who thinks of him, I know his work and existence does so for me. <3
Thank you Keith Haring.
Keith Haring is the originator of the term and practice of 'artivism' as a gay man living through the 60's - 90's, seeing and being afflicted by the AIDS crisis, and eventually passing from AIDS Related Complications later in his life after being told he no longer had AIDS. He grew up in a suburb to a simple family in a rural area, learning art from the get go and practicing shared creativity with his father. He was defiant in youth, and remained so throughout his entire life. He never wanted to blend in, and wanted to stand out - having SOMETHING to SAY! Keith Haring also loved kids, and led a lot of child-friendly art events and invited children to draw on his murals with him, down to the very somber and heartfelt end. Once Haring made it to New York City, he began being a subway and street graffiti artist. He was enamored with a tagger who he later found out was Jean-Michel Basquiat. He became close friends throughout his entire life with him. He also knew Andy Warhol closely. These American artists were some of the greats. Keith Haring was widely known for his staunch support of public health education and touched on AIDS in a lot of his work. It changed his entire life. However, long before his diagnosis, he was also reinventing the wheel so to speak in the world of design. With his iconic symbols - characters you could call them, as they took on a life of their own and became repeated imagery in his lexicon of graphics and parts of his identity to choose from. He also often reflected the world in his world. From crawling newborn babies, to barking dogs, to giant penises forcibly turned into "snakes" after the local French authorities took offense to the mural of two queer men jacking each other off. Keith Haring left a huge impact wherever he went, always leaving murals in his wake. He did them for free, sometimes for pay, sometimes for a meal, sometimes for a story, or a favor. Or for an activist's cause. He also fought back against the "war on drugs" from a personal position of losing friends to crack cocaine. Although the "war on drugs" became a pipeline to forced prison labor for communities of colour enacted by the Reagan administration, some of the efforts had the right idea and that idea is what Keith drew upon when making his technically illegal mural - his mural being where the term "CRACK IS WHACK" originated from during the Reagan era. After being jailed for painting the mural, he was recognized for the efforts to fight back against cocaine addiction and death and the mural was made into a historical marker. There's so many other big moments too.
Above all to understand Keith Haring is to understand his ideas on "art is for everybody" which was represented in how he supported and uplifted fellow artists around himself. He also eventually opened a "pop shop" that brought his art down from the galleries in to the masses' hands for an affordable cost on t-shirts, stickers, tote bags, etc.
There is so many layers to Keith Haring's brief life that he spent on this world. He did not live past the beginning of his 30's. He died lovingly surrounded by family and those who loved him in his life and knew him. His parents held him close as he passed from AIDS related complications in 1990.
As an artist, Keith Haring is now a phenomenal and needed example that inspires me to work harder and be kinder and get the message out today about our current pandemic - the COVID-19 pandemic. I want to take the same passion Keith had to the world of 'artivism' in modern day. May Keith's memory always be a blessing to everyone who thinks of him, I know his work and existence does so for me. <3
Thank you Keith Haring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2024
Such An Awesome Biography
I rode New York City subways a lot in the 80s so I was no stranger to Keith Haring’s art/graffiti even if I didn’t yet know his name. And when I first saw the “Crack is Wack” handball wall in East Harlem I knew immediately it was from the same artist. But it probably wasn’t till I bought my first “Very Special Christmas” CD that I learned his name.
I’m not exactly a connoisseur of fine art so Haring’s pop art speaks to me in its simplicity. Like punk music, there’s a feeling with his drawings and paintings that anyone could do it. And that makes it ever more accessible and understandable.
This book was an awesome recap of Haring’s amazing but short life and career. Knowing the fate he’d meet, I felt a sense of oncoming doom throughout. And considering the manic pace that Haring worked at, perhaps he felt it too. Certainly by the mid-eighties, as so many of Haring’s friends were dying of AIDs, he knew there was a chance he’d be next. Indeed in his journals around that time he speaks of a fear of dying and a longing to live a little longer (uncommon thoughts for your typical twenty-something). Such was the mood in New York City at the time, particularly in the gay community where the sense that the party was over was an ever present Damocles sword.
Haring became every bit a pop star in his time, hanging with the likes of Madonna and Brooke Shields and Boy George and spending night after night dancing his ass off in the best New York City clubs of the eighties. And his fame brought him around the world, giving him the opportunity to paint murals everywhere, including his favorite project ever: the Berlin Wall. Through his own words from interviews and his journals, and those of his closest confidants and lovers, we learn of Haring’s passion for art and how he believed it could positively change the world (which is why he gave so much of it away for free).
This was a great, uplifting book. Until the end, when it became a great, tragic book. Such is the case with so many artists who leave us long before their time. But at least we have his oeuvre to remind us of who he was and how simple yet powerful a paint brush or a magic marker or even just a piece of chalk can be.
In her eulogy to her brother, Haring’s sister Kay said Keith had taught her “That a wall was meant to be drawn on, a Saturday night was meant for partying, and that life is meant for celebrating.” I took similar messages and inspiration from this book
I rode New York City subways a lot in the 80s so I was no stranger to Keith Haring’s art/graffiti even if I didn’t yet know his name. And when I first saw the “Crack is Wack” handball wall in East Harlem I knew immediately it was from the same artist. But it probably wasn’t till I bought my first “Very Special Christmas” CD that I learned his name.
I’m not exactly a connoisseur of fine art so Haring’s pop art speaks to me in its simplicity. Like punk music, there’s a feeling with his drawings and paintings that anyone could do it. And that makes it ever more accessible and understandable.
This book was an awesome recap of Haring’s amazing but short life and career. Knowing the fate he’d meet, I felt a sense of oncoming doom throughout. And considering the manic pace that Haring worked at, perhaps he felt it too. Certainly by the mid-eighties, as so many of Haring’s friends were dying of AIDs, he knew there was a chance he’d be next. Indeed in his journals around that time he speaks of a fear of dying and a longing to live a little longer (uncommon thoughts for your typical twenty-something). Such was the mood in New York City at the time, particularly in the gay community where the sense that the party was over was an ever present Damocles sword.
Haring became every bit a pop star in his time, hanging with the likes of Madonna and Brooke Shields and Boy George and spending night after night dancing his ass off in the best New York City clubs of the eighties. And his fame brought him around the world, giving him the opportunity to paint murals everywhere, including his favorite project ever: the Berlin Wall. Through his own words from interviews and his journals, and those of his closest confidants and lovers, we learn of Haring’s passion for art and how he believed it could positively change the world (which is why he gave so much of it away for free).
This was a great, uplifting book. Until the end, when it became a great, tragic book. Such is the case with so many artists who leave us long before their time. But at least we have his oeuvre to remind us of who he was and how simple yet powerful a paint brush or a magic marker or even just a piece of chalk can be.
In her eulogy to her brother, Haring’s sister Kay said Keith had taught her “That a wall was meant to be drawn on, a Saturday night was meant for partying, and that life is meant for celebrating.” I took similar messages and inspiration from this book
February 18, 2025
Welcome to my most unhinged review.
Brad Gooch’s Keith Haring: come for the man the myth the legend, stay for random gossip about Madonna, Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Klaus Nomi, and last but not least ***Lee Harvey Oswald*** aka “Ozzie”!
I listened on audiobook which I do recommend, except just be aware that the reader mispronounced a lot of art word names. As a visual artist slash performer, you have to prepare and do your research! Deitch is “DYE-ch” and the Dia Foundation is just Dia, not “D I A”. There is no “t” in Jenny Holzer.
I will concede that when I looked it up after finishing the book I learned that Robert Henri pronounced his name “Hen-rai” so that was correct. Also the French pronunciations sounded legit. (Fun fact is that Haring and David Lynch were both inspired by Henri’s “the art spirit”!)
I wasn’t quite sure what I thought of the voices and accents the voice actor did… he made Keith sound like a himbo. And the Juan Dubose voice… was that… a little bit racist? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Otherwise the narration didn’t bother me. It wasn’t depressing, and kept my attention.
In terms of the book’s ~ actual writing ~ I thought it did a good job balancing various perspectives and critiques on Haring’s work and life choices (power dynamics in all his relationships, taking all those people to Tokyo and being weird about it… hanging out with that young straight guy? Yikes, etc.) while also centering his ongoing push and pull with the commercial art world. The fact that he interned for Shafrazi before being represented by him is the anomaly I didn’t know I needed. The way he met Basquiat is worth reading the book for alone. I loved learning about his relationship to graffiti art and artists and how he approached the medium of painting vs drawing. Having taught at SVA, it was so cute hearing about him as a student being all ~rebellious~. And it was so sweet how good he was with kids— the Sean Lennon quotes are especially illustrative. I came away with a pretty nuanced perspective on Haring that deepened my appreciation of his art practice and his relationship to it.
I don’t know that he seemed like the best friend or boyfriend in the world but I enjoyed learning about him! My main takeaways are that he sure did know how to channel creative energy— the fact he never planned his paintings is truly confuzzling. That and he REALLY loved partying. Paradise Garage 4ever.
Brad Gooch’s Keith Haring: come for the man the myth the legend, stay for random gossip about Madonna, Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Klaus Nomi, and last but not least ***Lee Harvey Oswald*** aka “Ozzie”!
I listened on audiobook which I do recommend, except just be aware that the reader mispronounced a lot of art word names. As a visual artist slash performer, you have to prepare and do your research! Deitch is “DYE-ch” and the Dia Foundation is just Dia, not “D I A”. There is no “t” in Jenny Holzer.
I will concede that when I looked it up after finishing the book I learned that Robert Henri pronounced his name “Hen-rai” so that was correct. Also the French pronunciations sounded legit. (Fun fact is that Haring and David Lynch were both inspired by Henri’s “the art spirit”!)
I wasn’t quite sure what I thought of the voices and accents the voice actor did… he made Keith sound like a himbo. And the Juan Dubose voice… was that… a little bit racist? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Otherwise the narration didn’t bother me. It wasn’t depressing, and kept my attention.
In terms of the book’s ~ actual writing ~ I thought it did a good job balancing various perspectives and critiques on Haring’s work and life choices (power dynamics in all his relationships, taking all those people to Tokyo and being weird about it… hanging out with that young straight guy? Yikes, etc.) while also centering his ongoing push and pull with the commercial art world. The fact that he interned for Shafrazi before being represented by him is the anomaly I didn’t know I needed. The way he met Basquiat is worth reading the book for alone. I loved learning about his relationship to graffiti art and artists and how he approached the medium of painting vs drawing. Having taught at SVA, it was so cute hearing about him as a student being all ~rebellious~. And it was so sweet how good he was with kids— the Sean Lennon quotes are especially illustrative. I came away with a pretty nuanced perspective on Haring that deepened my appreciation of his art practice and his relationship to it.
I don’t know that he seemed like the best friend or boyfriend in the world but I enjoyed learning about him! My main takeaways are that he sure did know how to channel creative energy— the fact he never planned his paintings is truly confuzzling. That and he REALLY loved partying. Paradise Garage 4ever.
February 25, 2025
Radiant seems like a perfect name for this book – it refers to Keith Haring’s art and also his exuberant and often childlike character. In this biography, Brad Gooch draws a vivid and lively story of not just Haring — a small-town Pennsylvania weirdo who became a pop-art legend, AIDS warrior, and general force for good in the world — but also the New York arts and music scene in the 80s.
I’m not an Art Guy: I saw the Keith Haring exhibit at the AGO last year. I was familiar with his art and his connection to AIDS activism, but only knew the broad strokes. Radiant is likely deep enough for Haring obsessives, and welcoming enough for clueless schmoes like me.
Famous figures pass in and out of this story: not just the expected names like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol, but also Robert Mapplethorpe, William S. Burroughs, Madonna, Grace Jones, Brooke Shields and Run-DMC, among many, many others, from Yoko Ono to Fab 5 Freddy. It’s specifically flattering to Madonna – her star power brought the spotlight to the AIDS epidemic, and she comes across as a generous and gracious (and somewhat promiscuous) person.
You can’t tell the story of Haring without telling the story of the AIDS epidemic in New York. Haring was groundbreaking in his advocacy, provoking at every opportunity with public, sex-positive (and safe-sex positive) art. His generosity in supporting both AIDS awareness and individuals with the disease was inspiring, as was his efforts to show that people with AIDS were not a public health risk – they can share the air, the dancefloor (and the bed) without infecting those around them.
The middle of Radiant dragged for me some, but the problem is surely mine: the description of Haring’s early career, his early adventures in the New York art and club scene and the various gallery owners and writers struggled to maintain my interest. Gooch’s detailed descriptions of Haring’s art are excellent when describing pieces I had seen, but without a visual reference, it often bounced off my thick skull. The colour plates were excellent and invaluable, but the book would have benefited from more inline black and white photography. A few grainy shots of those clubs or canvases could’ve sparked life into the slower bits.
I’m not an Art Guy: I saw the Keith Haring exhibit at the AGO last year. I was familiar with his art and his connection to AIDS activism, but only knew the broad strokes. Radiant is likely deep enough for Haring obsessives, and welcoming enough for clueless schmoes like me.
Famous figures pass in and out of this story: not just the expected names like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol, but also Robert Mapplethorpe, William S. Burroughs, Madonna, Grace Jones, Brooke Shields and Run-DMC, among many, many others, from Yoko Ono to Fab 5 Freddy. It’s specifically flattering to Madonna – her star power brought the spotlight to the AIDS epidemic, and she comes across as a generous and gracious (and somewhat promiscuous) person.
You can’t tell the story of Haring without telling the story of the AIDS epidemic in New York. Haring was groundbreaking in his advocacy, provoking at every opportunity with public, sex-positive (and safe-sex positive) art. His generosity in supporting both AIDS awareness and individuals with the disease was inspiring, as was his efforts to show that people with AIDS were not a public health risk – they can share the air, the dancefloor (and the bed) without infecting those around them.
The middle of Radiant dragged for me some, but the problem is surely mine: the description of Haring’s early career, his early adventures in the New York art and club scene and the various gallery owners and writers struggled to maintain my interest. Gooch’s detailed descriptions of Haring’s art are excellent when describing pieces I had seen, but without a visual reference, it often bounced off my thick skull. The colour plates were excellent and invaluable, but the book would have benefited from more inline black and white photography. A few grainy shots of those clubs or canvases could’ve sparked life into the slower bits.
June 21, 2024
Gooch's biography of Haring traces his life & his work. It is an exhausting account because of the energy which Haring had all of his life. He was constantly working & developing what became his unique style that straddled the world of street art/graffiti & fine art.
"As his fellow SVA student Kristoffer Haynes confesses, 'I lived over in the West Village, which I didn't want anyone to know. Everybody frowned on the West Village, where all the gay clones lived. The really cool people lived in the East Village." 101
"For its devoted card-carrying members, the Garage was church, and its high priest, elevated in his deejay booth, was the trend-engendering Larry Levin, whose discography made his club as influential in the music and art culture of downtown as CBGB, 57, or Rudd." 175
"Also running through or across his 1982 was a lengthening shadow, it was called GRID, for 'gay-related immune deficiency.' (It would not be officially named AIDS by federal officials until July of that year)....The New York Times first reported on the 'gay cancer,' as it was more commonly being called, in a short, chilly piece that on page A20 of the paper in July 1981. Titled 'Rare Cancer Seen in 41 Homosexuals,' the articles numbered deaths from the 'rapidly fatal' cancer at eight. Twenty of the forty-one cases were in New York City, and many of those had been treated for sexually transmitted diseases such as Hepatitis B and had self-reported using amyl nitrate and LSD to heighten sexual pleasure...
By the end of 1981, 213 cases of AIDS were diagnosed in New York City, with 74 deaths. In April 1982, at Paradise Garage, a fund-raiser, called Showers, was held for the Gay Men's Health Crisis, recently cofounded by the writer Larry Kramer..." 190-191
"By the end of 1983, 1,851 AIDS cases would be diagnosed in New York City, with 857 deaths..." 216
"In 1970, New York City had about two hundred art galleries. By the mid-eighties, the number had nearly tripled..." 254
"ACTUP had come to life in March 1987..." 393
"As his fellow SVA student Kristoffer Haynes confesses, 'I lived over in the West Village, which I didn't want anyone to know. Everybody frowned on the West Village, where all the gay clones lived. The really cool people lived in the East Village." 101
"For its devoted card-carrying members, the Garage was church, and its high priest, elevated in his deejay booth, was the trend-engendering Larry Levin, whose discography made his club as influential in the music and art culture of downtown as CBGB, 57, or Rudd." 175
"Also running through or across his 1982 was a lengthening shadow, it was called GRID, for 'gay-related immune deficiency.' (It would not be officially named AIDS by federal officials until July of that year)....The New York Times first reported on the 'gay cancer,' as it was more commonly being called, in a short, chilly piece that on page A20 of the paper in July 1981. Titled 'Rare Cancer Seen in 41 Homosexuals,' the articles numbered deaths from the 'rapidly fatal' cancer at eight. Twenty of the forty-one cases were in New York City, and many of those had been treated for sexually transmitted diseases such as Hepatitis B and had self-reported using amyl nitrate and LSD to heighten sexual pleasure...
By the end of 1981, 213 cases of AIDS were diagnosed in New York City, with 74 deaths. In April 1982, at Paradise Garage, a fund-raiser, called Showers, was held for the Gay Men's Health Crisis, recently cofounded by the writer Larry Kramer..." 190-191
"By the end of 1983, 1,851 AIDS cases would be diagnosed in New York City, with 857 deaths..." 216
"In 1970, New York City had about two hundred art galleries. By the mid-eighties, the number had nearly tripled..." 254
"ACTUP had come to life in March 1987..." 393
June 29, 2024
After recently seeing some of Haring's work at Pittsburgh's Andy Warhol Museum, I stumbled across this on my local library's new book shelf. I took it as a sign and checked it out.
What a well-done biography. Gooch conducted multiple interviews, seemingly with almost anyone still alive who ever knew Haring, combined those with thorough document research, then put it all together into a comprehensive narrative that delves into Haring's art, his personal life and relationships, the eras in which he grew up and worked, and the AIDS epidemic of the 80's, which took the lives of Haring and many of his friends and associates.
There is no question that Haring was an odd duck and I feel Gooch captured Haring's personality well. While biographers tend to view their subjects with rose-tinted glasses, Gooch does not shy away from Haring's flaws. We see how the choices Haring made were detrimental to his relationships and his health but also helped him achieve success as an artist.
My biggest complaint with the book, I think, were the photo and artwork selections. There are two pictorial spreads, the first with Polaroid-style (or perhaps reproductions of actual Polaroids) snapshots of people Haring knew. The second depicted some of Haring's work. Each chapter begins with a black and white photo pertaining to the chapter. So it's not as if there were a limited number. Nonetheless, many pictures and artworks were referenced in the text which are not included. The artwork can likely be found but the pictures, probably less so. It would have been nice to see what the author was talking about since there were so many images.
What a well-done biography. Gooch conducted multiple interviews, seemingly with almost anyone still alive who ever knew Haring, combined those with thorough document research, then put it all together into a comprehensive narrative that delves into Haring's art, his personal life and relationships, the eras in which he grew up and worked, and the AIDS epidemic of the 80's, which took the lives of Haring and many of his friends and associates.
There is no question that Haring was an odd duck and I feel Gooch captured Haring's personality well. While biographers tend to view their subjects with rose-tinted glasses, Gooch does not shy away from Haring's flaws. We see how the choices Haring made were detrimental to his relationships and his health but also helped him achieve success as an artist.
My biggest complaint with the book, I think, were the photo and artwork selections. There are two pictorial spreads, the first with Polaroid-style (or perhaps reproductions of actual Polaroids) snapshots of people Haring knew. The second depicted some of Haring's work. Each chapter begins with a black and white photo pertaining to the chapter. So it's not as if there were a limited number. Nonetheless, many pictures and artworks were referenced in the text which are not included. The artwork can likely be found but the pictures, probably less so. It would have been nice to see what the author was talking about since there were so many images.
November 29, 2023
"My contribution to the world is my ability to draw. I will draw as much as I can for as many people as I can for as long as I can." — Keith Haring
And draw is what he did — beautifully, brilliantly, prolifically, politically and with a childlike's sense of humor and vision — with utter love in his heart. From his small-town Pennsylvania childhood to his studios and homes in NYC and nearly every corner wall, street, subway of the world, Keith Haring woke the world up to an emblematic contemporary artform, first with his NY subway bombings of his iconic drawings and then with his highly-sought after paintings and sculptures that brought world politics and the AIDS crisis front and center. Gooch's biography, "the Guinness Book of Records" (Brad Gooch), is a nearly day-by-day account of Haring's life from his very beginning to his very end, recounted through interviews, found quotes, Haring's journal entries, and media sources, and entirely takes the reader into Keith Haring's mind as well as into the counterculture of the 1980s NY art and music scene. Radiant is an accurate title for this impeccably written account of a truly radiant human being whose art touched all ages, from rich to poor, all around the world while using his art as a wake-up call to raise awareness and demand political and social change at the beginning of the AIDs crisis. Thank you to Brad Gooch for taking me into the magical world of Keith Haring.
“If commercialization is putting my art on a shirt so that a kid who can't afford a $30,000 painting can buy one, then I'm all for it.” — Keith Haring
And draw is what he did — beautifully, brilliantly, prolifically, politically and with a childlike's sense of humor and vision — with utter love in his heart. From his small-town Pennsylvania childhood to his studios and homes in NYC and nearly every corner wall, street, subway of the world, Keith Haring woke the world up to an emblematic contemporary artform, first with his NY subway bombings of his iconic drawings and then with his highly-sought after paintings and sculptures that brought world politics and the AIDS crisis front and center. Gooch's biography, "the Guinness Book of Records" (Brad Gooch), is a nearly day-by-day account of Haring's life from his very beginning to his very end, recounted through interviews, found quotes, Haring's journal entries, and media sources, and entirely takes the reader into Keith Haring's mind as well as into the counterculture of the 1980s NY art and music scene. Radiant is an accurate title for this impeccably written account of a truly radiant human being whose art touched all ages, from rich to poor, all around the world while using his art as a wake-up call to raise awareness and demand political and social change at the beginning of the AIDs crisis. Thank you to Brad Gooch for taking me into the magical world of Keith Haring.
“If commercialization is putting my art on a shirt so that a kid who can't afford a $30,000 painting can buy one, then I'm all for it.” — Keith Haring
February 6, 2025
Brad Gooch's biography of the enduring legacy of Keith Haring is nothing if not copiously researched. The book is substantial. It covers his middle American childhood, which his lifelong connection to making art, his flirtations with Jesus, his dive into drugs, girlfriends and budding gay identity. And of course it focuses on his skyrocket of a career, one that riffed off of New York's graffiti and club scene. It tracks his love of the legendary nightclub, Paradise Garage and Club 57. He hung with Basquiat and Andy Warhol, cozied up to various collectors and patrons, had a particular taste in boyfriends, that dancer choreographer Bill T. Jones points out that Haring wasn't so sensitive to racial experience. Haring pioneered a democratization of art with his Pop Shop, and was similarly groundbreaking as an AIDS activist. Haring's work endures for all these reasons, but the guy himself was otherwise fairly ordinary, more of a doer than a thinker. The book is filled with detail, but not much in the way of illuminating the artist's inner life. You get the sense that he was a good guy, just not that deep. It makes sense, and there's nothing wrong with that, it just doesn't make for great reading. More interesting is revisiting the New York scene of the 1980s, and considering how demonized Ronald Reagan was, he seems so benign compared to Mr. T.
August 14, 2024
It's 1 am, and I'm crying over a man who died almost 40 years ago. I picked up this book because I don't feel drawn to, or even like, much of Keith Haring's work. If I've learned anything over the years, it's that whatever it is I feel bored or irritated by is the *exact* thing I should be reading about because nine times out of ten, I feel that way because I don't know anything about it. So when I saw this cute yellow book in the shop, I thought, "Keith Haring? The man who does those little doodles?" I knew immediately this was the book I should pick up and start reading.
How delightful it is to find new things to love! Isn't it great that I'm still alive and able to go from bored irritation to utter joy over a bunch of subway doodles? Gentle reader - I LOVE Keith Haring now. I'm so happy I picked up this book. If, like me, you knew nothing about him beyond seeing his work on the occasional postage stamp or tee shirt, you should pick up this book. It's an engagingly written story about someone so full of life and love that you would have been drawn to him even if he weren't an artist. It's also a fire look into New York life in the 70s and 80s with a wild cast of characters.
How delightful it is to find new things to love! Isn't it great that I'm still alive and able to go from bored irritation to utter joy over a bunch of subway doodles? Gentle reader - I LOVE Keith Haring now. I'm so happy I picked up this book. If, like me, you knew nothing about him beyond seeing his work on the occasional postage stamp or tee shirt, you should pick up this book. It's an engagingly written story about someone so full of life and love that you would have been drawn to him even if he weren't an artist. It's also a fire look into New York life in the 70s and 80s with a wild cast of characters.
January 6, 2025
Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring by Brad Gooch is the biography of pop and graffiti artist Keith Haring. I had not previously heard or known of this artist and the biography was well written and I learnt a lot about the artist and his influences and his impact on the art scene. I do not really care much for art and this did not make me like Keith Haring's art any better or make me admire him any more as a person but I could see some of the reasons he did what he did. An interesting biography but not really a subject that interested me much and rather repetitive in parts. There seemed to be great focus on famous acquaintances that liked him and his work and also how he would help his friends and vice versa. He was affected greatly by the AIDs epidemic and the way it affected his friends as well as himself and was also passionate in promoting diversity and acceptance of homosexuality. He was also passionate in helping other artists especially those that were starting out and facing similar struggles that he himself faced. Overall although interesting, it was a particularly long book, and art is different for everyone and his style was not one that appeals to me.
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