Keith Haring

KEITH HARING (Pennsylvania, 1958- New York, 1990).
Untitled, 1985.
Tempera on paper.
Signed in the lower margin.
With certificate of authenticity issued by The Keith Haring Estate on the back.
Measurements: 29,5 x 21 cm.

This drawing by Keith Haring, made in the eighties, encapsulates his unmistakable style: figures with thick lines, vibrant colors and a powerful visual narrative, loaded with social and symbolic meaning. In this image, the artist depicts an exploding head, with a torso of crossed arms in a seemingly nonchalant attitude, while an eruption of fragments erupts where the head should be. The style is direct and synthetic, with thick outlines reminiscent of comic book language and urban graffiti, key influences in Haring's work. He uses an energetic stroke in red, blue and green on a yellow background, a combination of primary colors that intensifies the visual impact and reinforces the graphic character of the composition. The explosion that replaces the head suggests mental overload, a recurring idea in Haring's work, where the human body is often subjected to external forces or depicted in states of transformation. It can be interpreted as a critique of modern society, stress, alienation or even censorship of emotions. The posture of the torso with arms crossed adds an ironic nuance: while the head disintegrates, the body remains motionless, oblivious to what is happening.

Considered the visible head of urban art in the 1980s, Haring's unstoppable professional career began with his work in the New York subway. The enormous popularity of Haring's urban work among the people of New York immediately caught the attention of the art establishment. Consequently, Andy Warhol adopted him into his circle, and the then emerging gallerist Tony Shafrazi organized a major solo exhibition for him in 1982 that was to be the launching pad for his unstoppable success. He soon exhibited his work at the gallery of the influential Leo Castelli and established himself as a professional art star. Today Haring's work is divided between major private and public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Art Institute of Chicago; the Bass Museum in Miami; Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris; the Ludwig Museum in Cologne; and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. He also created a wide variety of public works, including the infirmary at Children's Village in Dobbs Ferry, New Yorkand the second-floor men's room at Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in Manhattan, which was later transformed into an office and is known as the Keith Haring Room. In January 2019, an exhibition called "Keith Haring New York" opened at New York Law School in the main building of its Tribeca campus.