Keith Haring:

Prior to becoming one of the most recognisable artists of the 20^th century, Keith Haring began his public works in the New York City subway. From 1980 to 1985, he created hundreds of bold chalk drawings on black paper panels which covered unused advertising spaces throughout the subway system. Haring sometimes produced as many as forty drawings a day, transforming the ordinary commuting routes of urban city workers into an open-air gallery, making his work accessible to anyone who passed by.

Haring believed that art should be experienced by everyone, regardless of their social background, as opposed to many artists whose work was only seen in museums and commercial galleries. His energetic figures including barking dogs, radiant babies and dancing figures are deliberately universal in style, allowing viewers to interpret the images in their own way. Haring argued that the art world often overlooks a vast audience who are eager to engage with creative arts when it is made accessible to them. His subway drawings proved that public art could spark conversation and inspire people outside of the traditional gallery space. This commitment to democratising art became central to his practice and helped to establish him as a defining artist of the 1980s.

For Haring, art was a powerful means of communicating social and political ideas. By using an instantly recognisable visual language of bold lines and symbolic motifs – inspired by childhood cartoons and ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics – Haring was able to tackle issues ranging from apartheid, feminism, LGBTQ+ rights and the AIDS crisis. His simple, bold imagery allowed complex messages to reach a broad audience. Haring believed that public art could inspire discussions and social change. Throughout the 1980s, he produced posters and murals which supported global protest movements, including his famous Free South Africa campaign against apartheid.

Haring’s activism was deeply personal, especially when related to AIDS or the LGBTQ+ community. Upon moving from Pittsburgh to New York City in 1978, his newfound sense of freedom in the city was reflected in his increasingly bold and unapologetic works, many of which contain homoerotic imagery and phallic forms to challenge prejudice and confront viewers with subjects often excluded from mainstream culture. After being officially diagnosed with AIDS in 1988, his commitment to activism became even more urgent as close friends and members of his community died from the disease. Haring used his growing platform to raise awareness of the epidemic, and also to critique the lack of political action and visibility for those suffering.

Keith Haring’s figures are always seen to be either dancing, running, leaping or embracing each other with an infectious sense of movement which became one of the defining characteristics of his art. The figures are devoid of any facial features, race and gender which makes them entirely universal symbols, and their constant motion evokes joy and energy. His vibrant compositions and effervescent figures reflect on his own liberation, conveying optimism even when addressing difficult social and political issues.

Additionally, Haring wanted his work to be understood by children as well as adults. His clean lines and reoccurring symbols have a playful and childlike quality which makes them instantly recognisable. Haring claimed he always connected well with children due to his similarly playful personality, and therefore wanted to share his work with them.

Although Keith Haring is mostly known for his bold pop-inspired figures, religious symbolism also played an important role in his visual language. Although his parents were relatively open-minded and supportive of his artistic talents, Haring was raised in a conservative Christian community in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, where he was surrounded by religious beliefs. As a young, openly gay man, he celebrated his own sexuality and criticised those within organised religion who denounced homosexuality.

Haring didn’t reject religious imagery all together, but reinterpreted it through his own distinctive style. One of his favourite motifs was the winged angel which represented hope, protection and joy. Rendered in his trademark bold outlines and radiant lines, the angel moves away from traditional religious depictions and becomes a universal symbol of compassion and human connection. Haring stripped this motif of its formal hierarchy associated with organised religion and transformed it to something that could speak to people of all backgrounds.

Haring’s belief that art should belong to everyone is evident in the large-scale murals he created around the world, transforming schools, hospitals and community centres into vibrant works of art. Haring especially loved working with children as he believed that they responded to his imagery with honesty and imagination, rather than intellectual analysis. He frequently invited school children to help paint his murals, creating artworks that were made with and for the community. Many of Haring’s murals carried important social messages while remaining joyful and immediately accessible. He painted works in children’s hospitals to brighten the environment for young patients while also celebrating causes close to his heart, including LGBTQ+ rights and equality. His final major mural was painted on the wall of a church in Pisa, Italy in 1989, and he described it as one of his favourite projects, bringing together symbols of peace, harmony and hope.

Often, Haring’s murals were also a performance. He painted in front of crowds, accompanied by music from a boombox whilst happily interacting with spectators and photographers. He understood that the act of creating art was just as important as the final work, recognising that by engaging directly with the public he could spread his social messages first hand. Several of these murals remain intact and are carefully preserved globally, continuing to spread his messages of joy, equality and love throughout the world today.