Keith Haring: Daring Philanthropist 1958-1990
Keith Haring is one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. His work is the perfect blend of artistic and commercial success- something every artist wants but few achieve. Keith did it in his short life. Keith Haring was born in 1958 in Reading, Pennsylvania. He developed his talent for drawing when he was a child. He learnt from his father and from popular American cartoon culture. Two big influences were Dr. Seuss and Walt Disney. Their sense of colour, line and fun is evident in his work.
Keith Haring went to the Ivy School of Professional Art in Pittsburgh after high school. He dropped out when he decided not to be a graphic artist. Keith Haring chose to devote his entire career to creating public art. Haring continued to study art and make art on his own and in 1978 Keith Haring had his first solo exhibition at the Pittsburgh Arts and Crafts Center.
Haring then moved to New York City and continued to study art at the School of Visual Arts. New York City was the opposite of Pittsburgh. Haring discovered a huge street art community that was outside the conventional gallery and museum hierarchy. This street art was literally on the streets, the subways, boarded up buildings and on the walls at clubs.
He met fellow street artists Kenny Scharf and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Haring hosted and participated in a multitude of art exhibitions and performances at unorthodox venues such as Club 57 and Times Square. In 1980, Haring began to draw on the empty advertising panels in subway stations. He drew and strangers would stop and chat with him. The subway became his studio. Between 1980 and 1985, Haring produced hundreds of these “subway” drawings.
Between 1980 and 1989, Haring achieved major international recognition. In April of 1986, Haring opened the Pop Shop, a retail art store in SoHo. The store sold images of his work on T-shirts, toys, and posters at a low price. Haring saw retail as an extension of his art work. Critics ignored the store but it was a major success for Haring’s work was now available to everyone.
Keith Haring gave much of his spare time to making public art work. Murals were created for hospitals, day care centers and orphanages. He produced more than 50 public artworks between 1982 and 1989 all over the world in Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Paris, Amsterdam and Phoenix.
Keith Haring was diagnosed with AIDS in 1988. In 1989, he started the Keith Haring Foundation to provide funding and art work to AIDS organizations and educational programs. The foundation would expand the audience for his work after his death through exhibitions, publications and licensing. Haring spoke publicly and often about his illness in order to generate public awareness and education about AIDS. Keith Haring died in 1990. He was 31 years old. Today, the work of Keith Haring can be seen in exhibitions and collections of major museums around the world.
http://www.haring.com/
Melissa Montgomery
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