Keith Haring: Manhattan Penis Drawings for Ken Hicks

by Keith Haring (Artist)

Synonymous with the 1980s downtown New York art scene and embraced by popular culture for his peppy line drawings of dancing figures, Keith Haring (1958-90) blended a cheery optimism and an active sense of humor with a populist, activist commitment in his work. Arriving in New York in 1978 to study at the School of Visual Arts, he experimented with performance, video, installation and collage, and found himself increasingly involved in an alternative art community that showed its work in the streets and nightclubs; Haring himself would find a uniquely effective platform for his drawings in the unused advertising panels scattered throughout the subway system. "Manhattan Penis Drawings for Ken Hicks" collects one singular series of Haring's drawings: a series of cartoonish penises inspired by the city of Manhattan, made in the late 1970s. Sometimes the inspiration is quite literal, as in a drawing of the Twin Towers reimagined as two erect penises. Other times, the relation is more atmospheric, as in the drawing of a frenzied mass of penises evoking the hustle and bustle of the city but also recalling the dynamism of Futurist painting, captioned "Drawing penises in front of The Museum of Modern Art."

Genres: Art

72 pages, Paperback

First published July 28, 2016

About the author

Keith Haring (1958–1990) grew up in Pennsylvania and moved to New York in 1978 to enroll in the School of Visual Arts. Over the following decade, he made some of the most widely recognized artwork of the twentieth century.

Reviews

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's literally a book full of penises all drawn by Keith Haring. I mean, you can't beat that. Love this book so much, #yeshomo.

[Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book full of drawings of dicks by my favorite artist. Literally perfect.

[Madi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this for myself as a treat to owning more Keith Haring related work with absolutely no idea what to expect; was pleasantly surprised when I opened it up to exactly what the title described.

In the words of my slightly-concerned roommate who assumed I drew on the cover, “Are those...phallic images?”

[AJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually got this book at The Met in New York City. I found it hilarious and somewhat inspirational for reasons I don't feel like going into detail about here. It's one of those art books that give you a laugh and let you visualize the world a little differently (especially when walking around New York City).

[Zim · Rating 3 out of 5]

You are gifted, Mr. Haring. 😉✌🏽