Keith Haring

by Elisabeth Sussman, Keith Haring

In 1980, mysterious chalk drawings of simple outline figures began appearing on unused advertising space in New York City subway stations. Combining the appeal of Disney cartoons with the sophisticated primitivism of such artists as Jean Dubuffet, these underground artworks were bold, humorous, accessible, subversive - and the work of one man - Keith Haring. Over the next decade, Haring went on to create a body of work that would capture the energy and excitement of New York's brash street culture - and transmute punk, new wave, hip-hop, graffiti and break dancing into an instantly recognizable pop iconography. He frequently bypassed the gallery scene, preferring to address people directly through drawings and paintings in public spaces and with mass-produced items based on his designs. By the time he died of AIDS in 1990 he had become New York's most celebrated artist since Andy Warhol.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Hip Hop, Graffiti, Essays

296 pages, Hardcover

First published January 28, 1987

Reviews

[kylee]

skipped Thompson’s essay as it does not pertain to my research- seems interesting tho!!

[Jaimie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a bit of a risk reading two Keith Haring books almost back to back (especially when the first was based on the magnum opus that he had planned to publish before his untimely death), but this catalogue from his major retrospective exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1997 stood up well in comparison. I found about half of the written pieces readable (a higher percentage than normal!), focusing my efforts on those written by his close friend Ann Magnuson and the small panoply of interviews which revealed a more intimate perspective on Haring’s art and his life. I tire of art critique, no matter how well-informed and perceptive, as it often creates a distance between the artist and their work, and in the case of Haring it feels particularly adverse; his life was his art, so reading a summary or interpretation of his life by a third party just doesn’t cut it. It takes a personal touch to get the real story (or at least a version of the real story), and the small glimpses provided alongside the artwork here were heartfelt in the best way possible. The accompanying artwork was expectedly wonderful as well, showcasing examples from a wide range of Haring’s output. Some of the pieces we have seen before, of course, but I was stunned by the range of 3D pieces, photographic/textual collages, and apparently never-ending paintings and drawings. Is it actually possible to see all of Haring’s work? At this point, I would argue it’s not, since the more I consume, the more of it there seems to be! Not that we’re complaining, since we could never tire of his inventive, satirical, thought-provoking, and downright fun style!