Keith Haring (Reading, Pennsylvania, 1958 – NY, 1990) developed a love for drawing from a young age, learning the basics of cartooning from popular culture icons like Dr. Seuss and Walt Disney. In 1978, he held a solo exhibition at the Pittsburgh Arts and Crafts Center. That same year, Haring moved to New York City and enrolled at the School of Visual Arts (SVA). Here, he befriended artists like Kenny Scharf and Jean-Michel Basquiat, as well as musicians, performance artists, and graffiti writers who composed the burgeoning artistic community. Haring was swept up in the energy and spirit of this scene, and he began organizing and participating in exhibitions and performances at Club 57 and other alternative venues. Keith Haring also drew inspiration from the work of artists such as Jean Dubuffet, Pierre Alechinsky, William Burroughs, Brion Gysin, and Robert Henri’s manifesto “The Art Spirit,” which emphasized the artist’s fundamental independence.
In 1980, Haring began creating white chalk drawings on empty advertising panels throughout the subway system. Between 1980 and 1985, Haring produced hundreds of these public drawings in rapid, rhythmic lines, sometimes creating up to forty “subway drawings” in a single day. The subway became, as Haring described it, a “laboratory” for developing his ideas and experimenting with his simple lines. His first solo exhibition in New York was held at the Westbeth Painters Space in 1981. In 1982, he made his debut in Soho’s gallery scene with a solo show at the Tony Shafrazi Gallery. During this period, he also participated in international exhibitions such as Documenta 7 in Kassel, the São Paulo Biennial, and the Whitney Biennial.
Other projects by the artist include a mural created for the centennial celebration of the Statue of Liberty in 1986; a mural on the facade of the Necker Children’s Hospital in Paris, France in 1987; and a mural painted on the western side of the Berlin Wall three years before its fall.
© Galerie Bartoux
