Initially viewed simply as a graffiti artist who used vacant advertising boards in the New York
subway as his canvas in the early 1980s, Keith Haring provoked debate on the street and
within the exclusive art establishment with his radiant comic figures and increasingly political
messages.
Arriving in New York in 1978 to study at the School of Visual Arts, Haring was inspired
by the East Village club scene identified with punk and rap music, breakdancing and graffiti
as a public statement of personal expression. Working with remarkable speed and clarity,
Haring's images convey a conspicuous energy in the brevity of his line, bold color relationships
conveying his early interest in graphic design, and simplified figurative forms.
As he became prominent with the gallery and museum world, Haring provoked
additional debate by purposely commercializing his own work, reproducing his signature
figures on an array of products and opening his own retail stores including Wham Bam in
Miami and the Pop Shop in New York. Success afforded him the opportunity to control his own
market and remain independent, crucial to his vision of his work.
From 1985 until his death in 1990 from complications due to AIDS, Haring
concentrated much of his extraordinary energy on visual political messages, particularly
focusing on generating action and conveying the dangers and effects of AIDS.
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