GREATFALLSELEMENTARYSCHOOLARTENRICHMENT

KEITHHARINGSEPTEMBER2017

KeithHaringAmericanStreetArtist1958-1990

• KeithHaringonlylivedtobe31yearsold,buthewasanoutsizedfigurein20thcenturyart,much-lovedduringhislifetimeasanartistandaperson.

• Hisdrawingsareinstantlyrecognizableandblurredthelinebetweenartyouwouldseeinamuseumandartonthestreet.Hewasneverstoppedseeingtheworldthroughachild’seyesandalwayswantedtobrightenthespacearoundhimselfandothers.

WhenIgrowup,IwouldliketobeanartistinFrance.ThereasonisbecauseIliketodraw.IwouldgetmymoneyfromthepicturesIwouldsell.IhopeIwillbeone.- KeithHaring

• KeithHaringknewfromanearlyage–aswecanseefromthisschoolessayfromaboutthesecondgrade–thathewantedtobeanartist.Hewasn’tmuchgoodatschool–infacthewouldgetintroublefordoodlingdowntheedgesofhistestsandpapers.Hedidn’tlikeusualkidactivitieslikeBoyScoutsorbaseball.Heonlywantedtomakeart,allthetime.

• CartoonswereabiginfluenceonKeith,mostlybecauseitwashisfather’shobby.Fromhisearliestage,hewouldworkeverynightwithhisdad,whowouldshowKeithhowtomakedrawingsoutofshapes.Sometimestheywoulddrawlinesbackandforthuntiltheyhaddrawnanentirepicturetogether.

• Hemadecollagesfromfanmagazinesandevenbuiltaclubhouse.Hewonhisfirstprizeasakid,withhiscontestentrya2-foot-tallmapoftheUnitedStates,witheachstaterepresentedbyasymbol.FloridawasdecoratedwithMickeyMouse!HelovedcartoonsonTV,too,withtheirbrightcolorsandwildaction.

• KeithtriedartschoolinPittsburghbutalthoughhehadsomeearlysuccess,hedidn’treallyfitinthere.HedecidedheneededtomovetoNewYork.

• In1978whenKeithwas20yearsold,hemovedtoNewYork,whichwas(andsomesaystillis)thecenterofartisticenergyfortheU.S.Hestartedartschoolandbeganmakingfriends.YoungNewYorkersweremakingartforthemselvesandtheirfriends,nottohanginmuseums,anditwasanexcitingtime.

• Graffitiartistswerepaintingtheoutsideofsubwaytrains(andgettingarrestedforit),butKeithdecidedtodosomethingdifferent.Whenadvertisementframesinsubwaystationsweren’tbeingused,theywerecoveredwithblackconstructionpaper.Keith’swhitechalkdrawingsontheblackpaperbecameinstantlyfamous.Everyonewantedtoknowwhowasmakingthequirky,happylittledrawingsthatwerebrighteningtheircommutes.(That’shimuptheredrawing!)

• Hedidgetarrestedfordrawinginthesubwayonce,althoughmostpolicemenwereapparentlysocharmedbyhisdrawingstherethattheylethimgetawaywithit.

• Besidesthegraffitiartists,anotherbiginfluenceonKeith’sartwerethestreetdancershesaweverywhere–breakdancing!Helovedthewaytheymovedandalltheirenergy.HedrewfiguresdancingliketheguyshesawintheparksofNewYorkCity.Thesquigglylineshedrewaroundhissimplefiguresgavetheimpressionthattheyweremovinglikethebreakdancersandhiphopartistsheloved.

• Anothermotifheusedwastheheart,oftenwithpeopledancingaroundit,andsometimesdancingbyitself.Hebelievedinthepoweroflove.TheartistsheknewinNewYorkwerenotpeoplewhoalwaysfitinwell,eitherintheirschoolsorinajoborinthecompanyof“normal”people.Theyallhadtolookaftereachothersotheycouldbethemselvesandmakethearttheywantedto.

• Anotherfavoriteimagewasofabarkingdog,sometimesonfourlegs,andsometimesdancingontwo.Why?Whoknows?Hemusthavethoughtitwasfunny!Healsolikedflyingfigures.Isthisanangel?Avampire?Asuperhero?

• There’snowayofknowinghowmanypiecesofartKeithHaringmadeoverhislifetime.Heprobablymadetensofthousandsofindividualdrawings,fromdoodlesonanapkintomuralsthatcoveredthesideofabuilding.Heusedthesamesymbolsagainandagain.

• Here’sKeithfresheningupanabandonedbuildinginhisownneighborhood.Hesaidthathehadtowalkpastiteverydayonthewaytohisapartment.ItwasinaprettybadareaofNewYork,intheEastVillage,soheandhisfrienddidn’taskpermission.Theyjustmadeartinbright,neoncolorsonacrumblyoldconcretewall!Thethree-eyedfaceisanothergraphicthatusedalot,andtherearemoredancingguys.

• Keith’sworkquicklybecameknownintheartworld,andhegotgalleryshowsandbegantomakealittlemoney.HeknewalotoffamouspeopleinNewYork,too,includingAndyWarhol.Andy’sPopArtofthe1950sand1960swasabiginfluenceonKeith,aswasAndy’sfriendshipandhisconnectionsinNewYork.RememberthatAndyWarholalsopaintedthingslikesimplesoupcans,whichsomepeoplethoughtdidn’tbelonginamuseum.

• OntheleftisaphotofromoneofKeith’sfirstgalleryshows.Asyoucansee,henotonlyhunguphispictures–healsodrewawholelineofdancingfiguresalongthebottomthewall!

• KeithHaringwasverymuchinterestedinthesocialissuesofhisday.Asbothanartistandanactivist,hefoundyoucoulddepictseriousissuesinafunoratleastlivelywaywhencommunicatedthroughcartoonyimagesandbrightcolors.ThispicturewassomeoftheworkhedidtosupportresearchonAIDS,whichwasa“new”diseaseatthattime.Intheearly1980s,peoplewerestartingtogetverysickandthedoctorsreallydidn’tknowwhattodo.Manypeoplethoughtthegovernmentshouldstop“coveringitsearsandeyes”andstartworkingontheproblem.

• Keithalsocreatedartworkforanti-drugcampaignsandagainstthegovernmentinSouthAfricathatwasn’tfairtoblackpeople,amongothercauses.

• KeithHaringalwaysenjoyedworkingwithkidsandbeautifyingspaces.Heoftenwouldpaintcheerfulmuralsinthechildren’swardsofhospitals,orgetkidstohelphimpaintmuralsattheirschools.Oneofhiscoolestprojectswascreatedin1986with1,000NewYorkCitykidsandKeith.Hedrewtheyoutlineandthekidswrotealloveritwithwhatevertheywantedtosay,creatingtheuniqueandbrightly-colored"CityKidsSpeakonLibertyBanner."The90by30-footbannercommemoratestheStatueofLibertyonher100thbirthday.Itwasdisplayedin2016inPhiladelphiafortheDemocraticNationalConvention.

• Heoncesaid:“Icanmakeanykidsmile.It’sprobablyfromhavingafunnyfaceandlookingandactinglikeakid.Kidscanrelatetomydrawings,becauseofthesimplelines.”

• KeithHaringsaid,“Artshouldbesomethingthatliberatesthesoul,provokestheimaginationandencouragespeopletogofurther.Itcelebrateshumanity.”Hespreadhisartalloverthecitieswherehelived,andinothercountries,too.ThisbuildinginarundownneighborhoodofPhiladelphiawaspaintedbyHaringwiththehelpofneighborhoodchildren.

• Eventhoughhegotsickanddiedsoyoung,hehadagreatlegacy.Heshowedthatstreetartistsshouldbetakenseriouslyandinspiredanewgenerationofstreet-to-galleryartistssuchasShepardFaireyandBanksy.Nowinthe21stcentury,muralsandurbangraffitiartareaworldwidephenomenon,givingarttothepeoplewheretheylive.

• Here’sabonus:GooglehonoredKeithwiththisDoodleonMay4,2012,whatwouldhavebeenhis54thbirthday.