Keith Haring
Keith Haring: Innovating with Pop Art and Graffiti
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Keith Haring was an American graffiti artist born in 1958 and died in 1990. He was born in Reading, Pennsylvania. As a child, Keith loved cartoon art and illustration. He spent much time drawing alongside his father, an engineer by profession but had a hobby in cartooning. Keith Haring's art career started in 1978 after he moved to New York to study professional art at the school of visual arts. The artist started making chalk drawings around the city and in subway stations in New York.
What Keith Haring is Known For.
Keith Haring remains one of the best pop art and graffiti artists of all time. He is best known for his colourful animated and graffiti art on subway stations. Keith Haring initially used to draw on black advertising backboards using white chalk. Keith also loved drawing cartoons. His painting was made with and for kids. The artist created murals in numerous schools and kids' hospitals.
Keith Haring also became famous for his activity in promoting AIDS awareness. He was diagnosed with the disease in 1988 and crafted images including sexual allusions to advocate for safe sex and raise awareness about the disease.
Keith Haring Art: Most Important Works.
Another famous Keith Haring art piece is Crack is Wack. This public mural was painted in 1986 on the handball court. The mural was Keith's piece of warning after the crack epidemic that affected New York in the 1980s. The Crack is Wack mural is present today.
Montreux is one of the most influential Keith Haring artworks. The artist made this artwork in 1983 during Switzerland's 17th Montreux Jazz Festival.
His other fabulous works include a barking dog, the boxers, monkey puzzle, colourful pop arts, and many more.
Keith Haring Exhibitions.
Between 1980 and 1989, Keith Haring attained national and international recognition and participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions. He presented his graffiti and street work in more than 50 solo gallery exhibitions. In February 1981, at Westbeth Painters Space, Keith held his first solo exhibition in New York. It was attended by many and turned out to be successful. In 1982 the artist also had a solo exhibition in Tony Shafrazi Gallery. During the same year, Keith Haring also participated in famous international survey exhibitions, including Whitney Biennial and Documenta 7 in Kassel. Since his death, Keith Haring artworks have featured in over 150 shows globally. You can buy Keith Haring prints and posters in different online art galleries.