Introduction: First and second slide
-Keith Haring was born in 1958 and was raised in Pennsylvania and learned basic cartooning skills from his father who was an amateur cartoonist.
-Haring moved to New York in 1978 and attended The School of Visual Arts in Manhattan where he studied semiotics, the study of symbolism.
-When Haring moved to New York he started drawing on blank ad spaces in the subways with chalk. His speed and accuracy was memorable and impressive.
-Symbols used in his work shined a light on different topics such as birth, death, love, and different political subjects.
-He wanted to change the art world in the sense that he wanted to expand the audience to people outside of quiet, serious galleries.
Main Body: 3rd-9th slides
Radiant Baby
Radiant baby is one of Haring's pieces that he believes is one of the most important. Growing up in a Christian household, the baby could also have been a symbol of Christ. He believes that it represents one of the "purest and most positive experience(s) of human existence." The rays that come out from the child are similar to those in Renaissance art of religious figures. This piece was repeated in many of his works. It was used in one hectic piece where it was placed inside a mushroom cloud to show a type of "final apocalypse."
Pop Shop Editions
Haring wanted to change the art world and make his art visible to as many people as possible, which was why starting in the subways was so ideal. He opened up the Pop Shop where he put some of his art on t-shirts using silkscreen. He also made magnets, buttons, and other items for anyone to buy. This caused some controversy in the art world because some people thought it cheapened his work for him to make is so available, but he thought that it was the best thing to do because the thing he wanted most was for people to see his art.
Crack is Wack
Some say that Crack is Wack is Haring's most famous piece. A reason for this might be because the piece can still be seen on the FDR drive in New York City. Haring was friends with someone who struggled with cocaine addiction so he was especially aware of the cocaine problem in the 1970s-mid 1980s. He wanted to communicate to the people in his community (mostly youth) who had grown to respect him that this was his stance on crack. He used this mural in an attempt to use his influence on others to steer them in the right direction.
Andy Mouse
Haring was greatly influenced by Andy Warhol, who is considered the "Father of Pop Art." They were both inspired by Walt Disney. Andy Mouse was a series done that combine both Warhol and Disney. The character has Warhol's signature hair and glasses, and other features like it's ears and shorts to show Walt Disney's signature character Mickey Mouse. Andy Mouse as a relevant character that Haring created because it was used to show the artists that greatly influenced him.
Painting Myself into a Corner
In college in 1979, Haring recorded a video of himself painting himself into a corner. This piece was especially interesting because it allowed people to watch Haring's process. Since his work was never premeditated,viewers could really see the fast pace he has when making art. This performance piece was done to show that the act/process of painting is as important as the end result. It's a good example of how Haring let art flow through him.
Summary of Style
Haring's style is line work that creates simple cartoons with great symbolism. His work could be as simple as two stick men posing together to extremely intricate murals. The detail he included was never in faces or shading, only the outlines of the figures he made. He used bright bold colors with his pop art style. All of Haring's work was created on the spot, without sketching or planning the piece. He believed he was a tool for art to be communicated through.
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