Keith Haring (1958 -1990) is widely recognised for his colourful
paintings, drawings, sculptures and murals. Haring exploded onto the
early 1980s New York art scene with his vivid graffiti-inspired drawings,
many of which found exposure in the public realm, such as the Times
Square billboard broadcast of his famous Radiant Child in 1982.
Haring's instantly recognisable `cartoon-like' imagery not only drew on
the iconography of contemporary pop and club culture but also looked
back to the patterns and rhythms of Islamic and Japanese art, and
primitive wall-paintings,. Furthermore his work also reflected a profound
commitment to social justice and activism, and raised numerous
issues that remain relevant today, including the AIDS crisis, the Cold
War and fear of nuclear attack, racism, the excesses of capitalism and
environmental degradation.
Featuring around fifty works supported by rarely seen photography,
film and archival documents from the Keith Haring Foundation, this
accessible book will not only introduce Haring to a new audience but
also throw fresh light on an artist whose work remains symptomatic of
the subcultural and creative energy of 1980s New York.
Three short texts exploring various aspects of Haring's practice
will be interspersed with illustrations of his works and a rolling time-line
featuring key social and political events of the 1980s (from the election
of Reagan in 1980 and the explosion of hip hop from underground
movement to global phenomenon to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989)
and Haring's responses to them. The publication also aims to include
select and unpublished reminiscences from those who collaborated
and interacted with Haring, including performers such as Madonna and
Grace Jones and artists Jenny Holzer and Yoko Ono.