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Haring-isms
Essential quotations from renowned artist and pop icon Keith Haring
Keith Haring remains one of the most important and celebrated artists of his generation and beyond. Through his signature bold graphic line drawings of figures and forms dancing and grooving, Haring's paintings, large-scale public murals, chalk drawings, and singular graffiti style defined an era and brought awareness to social issues ranging from gay rights and AIDS to drug abuse prevention and a woman's right to choose. Haring-isms is a collection of essential quotations from this creative thinker and legendary artist.
Gathered from Haring's journals and interviews, these lively quotes reveal his influences and thoughts on a variety of topics, including birth and death, possibility and uncertainty, and difference and conformity. They demonstrate Haring's deep engagement with subjects outside of the art world and his outspoken commitment to activism. Taken together, this selection reflects Haring's distinctive voice and reminds us why his work continues to resonate with fans around the globe.
Select quotations from the book:
"Art lives through the imaginations of the people who are seeing it. Without that contact, there is no art."
"It's a huge world. There are lots and lots and lots of people that I haven't reached yet that I'd like to reach."
"Art is one of the last areas that is totally within the realm of the human individual and can't be copied or done better by a machine."
"The artist, if he is a vessel, is also a performer."
"No matter how long you work, it's always going to end sometime. And there's always going to be things left undone."
"I decided to make a major break. New York was the only place to go."
"I came to believe there was no such thing as chance. If you accept that there are no coincidences, you use whatever comes along."
"There was a migration of artists from all over America to New York. It was completely wild. And we controlled it ourselves."
"I couldn't go back to the abstract drawings; it had to have some connection to the real world."
Keith Haring remains one of the most important and celebrated artists of his generation and beyond. Through his signature bold graphic line drawings of figures and forms dancing and grooving, Haring's paintings, large-scale public murals, chalk drawings, and singular graffiti style defined an era and brought awareness to social issues ranging from gay rights and AIDS to drug abuse prevention and a woman's right to choose. Haring-isms is a collection of essential quotations from this creative thinker and legendary artist.
Gathered from Haring's journals and interviews, these lively quotes reveal his influences and thoughts on a variety of topics, including birth and death, possibility and uncertainty, and difference and conformity. They demonstrate Haring's deep engagement with subjects outside of the art world and his outspoken commitment to activism. Taken together, this selection reflects Haring's distinctive voice and reminds us why his work continues to resonate with fans around the globe.
Select quotations from the book:
"Art lives through the imaginations of the people who are seeing it. Without that contact, there is no art."
"It's a huge world. There are lots and lots and lots of people that I haven't reached yet that I'd like to reach."
"Art is one of the last areas that is totally within the realm of the human individual and can't be copied or done better by a machine."
"The artist, if he is a vessel, is also a performer."
"No matter how long you work, it's always going to end sometime. And there's always going to be things left undone."
"I decided to make a major break. New York was the only place to go."
"I came to believe there was no such thing as chance. If you accept that there are no coincidences, you use whatever comes along."
"There was a migration of artists from all over America to New York. It was completely wild. And we controlled it ourselves."
"I couldn't go back to the abstract drawings; it had to have some connection to the real world."
- GenresArt
168 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
2 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Keith Haring
85 books43 followersKeith 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.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 15, 2020
This review originally appeared on The Magical Buffet website on 10/15/20.
What is it about Keith Haring’s art that I have always loved? He was hitting his peak as an artist/street artist in the 70’s/early 80’s, so perhaps it is because, being born in 1976, his art was my introduction to graffiti as art. His designs were cartoonish, in bold colors, simplistic to the average person, and filled with motion. Haring’s work was not only accessible as art, but accessible by being licensed for TONS of products. Cynics could say he was “selling out”, but he believed in the democratization of art, frequently giving away free doodles to fans. Haring’s death in 1990 of AIDS-related illness is an important milestone in my life. His passing, along with Ryan White, turned me into an activist at a young age, constantly following the research and injustice of the early AIDS crisis. (FYI, this is just things I personally remember, not from any official source.)
This should explain why when Princeton University Press reached out to me with regards to reviewing a book about Keith Haring, I didn’t care what it was, I just wanted it! (Also, Princeton University Press, who’s the scholarly blogger?) The book they sent me (which I did know what it was going to be) was “Haring-isms” edited by Larry Warsh. It is part of Princeton’s “ISM” series, where they try to capture the essence of a variety of artists by collecting their quotations into high quality, pocket-sized, hardcover books. Along with “Haring-isms” you can find “Arsham-isms”, “Basquiat-isms”, “Weiwei-isms”, and more.
Editor Larry Warsh writes a personal and informative introduction to “Haring-isms.” After that, it is quote after wonderful quote. Here a just a few of my favorites:
It was a long time before I was successful – or wanted to be. All I ever wanted, and what I want now, is to draw, draw, draw.
I was never good at quite defining what is and what is not art. I mean, eventually everything can be art if we see it like art.
I think if people make art that is in tune with popular culture and comes from popular culture, they should put it back into that culture.
If I was going to draw, there had to be a reason. That reason, I decided, was for people.
Part of the reason that I’m not having trouble with 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 sometime. If you live your life according to that, death is irrelevant. Everything I’m doing right now is exactly what I want to do.
Each quote has a number so you can reference its source in the back of the book.
Obviously, I love “Haring-isms”. The only drawback is, other than the icon on the cover, none of Haring’s art is featured in it. I would easily pay twice the price to have these quotes along side images of some of his artwork. However, the lack of art keeps the book at a reasonable price point considering its high-quality formatting. If you’ve ever been inspired by Keith Haring, “Haring-isms” is for you.
What is it about Keith Haring’s art that I have always loved? He was hitting his peak as an artist/street artist in the 70’s/early 80’s, so perhaps it is because, being born in 1976, his art was my introduction to graffiti as art. His designs were cartoonish, in bold colors, simplistic to the average person, and filled with motion. Haring’s work was not only accessible as art, but accessible by being licensed for TONS of products. Cynics could say he was “selling out”, but he believed in the democratization of art, frequently giving away free doodles to fans. Haring’s death in 1990 of AIDS-related illness is an important milestone in my life. His passing, along with Ryan White, turned me into an activist at a young age, constantly following the research and injustice of the early AIDS crisis. (FYI, this is just things I personally remember, not from any official source.)
This should explain why when Princeton University Press reached out to me with regards to reviewing a book about Keith Haring, I didn’t care what it was, I just wanted it! (Also, Princeton University Press, who’s the scholarly blogger?) The book they sent me (which I did know what it was going to be) was “Haring-isms” edited by Larry Warsh. It is part of Princeton’s “ISM” series, where they try to capture the essence of a variety of artists by collecting their quotations into high quality, pocket-sized, hardcover books. Along with “Haring-isms” you can find “Arsham-isms”, “Basquiat-isms”, “Weiwei-isms”, and more.
Editor Larry Warsh writes a personal and informative introduction to “Haring-isms.” After that, it is quote after wonderful quote. Here a just a few of my favorites:
It was a long time before I was successful – or wanted to be. All I ever wanted, and what I want now, is to draw, draw, draw.
I was never good at quite defining what is and what is not art. I mean, eventually everything can be art if we see it like art.
I think if people make art that is in tune with popular culture and comes from popular culture, they should put it back into that culture.
If I was going to draw, there had to be a reason. That reason, I decided, was for people.
Part of the reason that I’m not having trouble with 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 sometime. If you live your life according to that, death is irrelevant. Everything I’m doing right now is exactly what I want to do.
Each quote has a number so you can reference its source in the back of the book.
Obviously, I love “Haring-isms”. The only drawback is, other than the icon on the cover, none of Haring’s art is featured in it. I would easily pay twice the price to have these quotes along side images of some of his artwork. However, the lack of art keeps the book at a reasonable price point considering its high-quality formatting. If you’ve ever been inspired by Keith Haring, “Haring-isms” is for you.
April 5, 2025
A very in depth look into the philosophy of Keith Haring that I thoroughly enjoyed. It takes excerpts from interviews and journal entries and sorts organizes them into different topics and it’s so fascinating. Hearing this man who I am fascinated by talk about so much and how he views them really inspired me in some moments.
January 17, 2021
A great pocket-sized read. Many interesting quotes by Haring and a short history of his life and inspirations.
February 6, 2021
A delight to make your way through when you want a little Haring inspiration
November 19, 2023
Picked this up during a trip to the Strand in NYC. Keith Haring truly and genuinely speaks to my soul and is my favorite artist of all time. This gutted me.
July 26, 2024
did so much in his 31 years, a true artist
December 11, 2023
Throughout the book, readers are treated to a myriad of quotes from Keith Haring himself. These snippets offer a direct line to the artist's thoughts, allowing us to understand the motivations and philosophies that fueled his artistic endeavors. Haring's words become a vivid brushstroke in the canvas of his life, adding depth and nuance to our understanding of his art.
January 7, 2026
The more I learn about Haring’s work, the more I fall in love with it.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews