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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.