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CAC in the Classroom: Keith Haring
The document summarizes the early career and artistic development of Keith Haring from 1978 to 1982. It describes how he moved from abstract shapes in his sketchbooks to incorporating recognizable figures and cartoons into his public artworks. Haring began illegally drawing his signature figures in chalk on paper in public spaces, getting arrested several times. His goal was to make art accessible to everyone.
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CAC in the Classroom: Keith Haring
- 1. Keith Haring 1978-1982Polaroid self-portraits with glasses painted by Kenny Sharf, 1980-81 PowerPoint by Gretchen Ferber
- 2. Keith Haring wasborn in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1958. As a child, he was fascinated by cartoons and drew them constantly. In 1978 when he enrolled in the School of Visual Arts in New York, he left his cartoon characters behind to explore what he described as the most exciting city in the world. New Drawings by Keith Haring: Des Refus és , 1981
- 3. The exhibition Keith Haring 1978-1982 spans the time when Haring developed his artistic style from shapes and forms into figures and lines. Untitled sketchbook pages, 1978 Eight untitled drawings, 1980
- 4. The artist keptjournals where he documented his important artistic discoveries. Journal entry, 1978 Journal entry, 1979
- 5. Haring created an“alphabet of shapes” as one of his earliest artistic experiments. This alphabet of shapes could be assembled in various combinations to create patterns. Do you think the shapes are like letters? How do you “read” these shapes? 25 untitled drawings (Variations), 1978
- 6. In his journals, Keith Haring played with the layout of the shapes and how they could be combined. Have you ever used a journal to help you think through an idea or create a project? Journal entry, 1971-73
- 7. Haring’s work beganto change. He moved away from combinations of forms to combinations of words on paper and in video works. Untitled (recto and verso), ca. 1980 No sin , Art Sin , Fat Sin , No Fat , ca. 1979
- 8. Haring’s experimentation continuedas he transitioned from abstract shapes and words to a focus on figures and objects . In 1980, he introduced figures in his drawings that he used for the rest of his life that are easily recognizable today. Untitled, 1980
- 9. His iconic figuresinclude the standing figure, the pyramid, the dog, the flying saucer, the radio, the nuclear reactor, the bird, and the dolphin. The radiating lines indicate movement or the flows of energy. These figures echo his early interest in cartoons. Untitled, 1980 Spaceship with Ray , 1980
- 10. By 1981, theartist had merged two of his working styles. He combined his geometric abstractions with images of figures and objects. He accomplished this by filling only part of a composition with dense strokes around the key figurative elements. Untitled, 1980
- 11. How does thiswork relate to Haring’s early experiments in his journals? What happens to the figures when surrounded by the geometrics shapes? Untitled, 1980
- 12. Beginning in 1978,Haring ventured into New York’s public spaces to create art that was for everyone. He understood his work needed to be experienced by diverse audiences. He created art in the streets and gave his images away for free in the form of buttons, posters and flyers. Art for Everyone Graffiti by Haring in New York City, 1981
- 13. Haring’s activity inpublic spaces reached its climax when he began drawing his signature figures in chalk on pieces of black paper. Because this act of drawing in public without a license made his works an illegal form of communication, Haring was arrested several times. How does Haring’s use of chalk on paper differ from other forms of graffiti art? Subway drawing executed by Haring in 1981-82
- 14. Keith Haring’s LegacyHaring died in 1990, but his goal of creating art for everyone has inspired the contemporary practice of street art. Shepard Fairey’s Obey Giant was influenced by Haring’s figures. Haring’s art lives on in the form of fashion, product designs and public murals that he created in various countries. Graffati by Haring, New York City, 1981
- 15. To learn more,visit: http://www.haring.com/ http://www.haringkids.com/ Flyer for Pieces of the Same Thing: Continuous 12 Hour Performance , New York City, ca. 1979-80
Editor's Notes
- #3 Keith Haring was born in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1958. As a child, he was fascinated by cartoons and drew them constantly. In 1978 when he enrolled in the School of Visual Arts in New York, he left his cartoon characters behind as he began to explore what he described as the most exciting city in the world. Needed: Row of pictures of Harring.
- #4 Keith Haring 1978-1982 spans the time when Haring developed his artistic style from abstracted forms into figurative styles.
- #5 Haring kept journals where he documented his important artistic discoveries.
- #6 IMAGE: Red Gouche paintings.
- #7 In his journals, Keith played with the layout of the forms and how they could be combined. Negative and positive space. IMAGE: journal entry.
- #8 Haring’s work began to change. H e moved away from complex combinations of abstracted forms to combinations of words, whether spelled out in works on paper or spelled out and spoken in the video works. As a result, meaning is established in the intervals—the in-between spaces that both separate and link words.
- #9 Haring’s artistic experimentation continued as he transitioned from abstract shapes and words into a returned focus on figures and objects. In 1980, he introduced figures in his drawings that he used for the rest of his life that are easily recognizable today.
- #10 His iconic figures include the standing figure, the pyramid, the dog, the flying saucer, the radio, the nuclear reactor, the bird, the dolphin, and radiating lines to indicate movement or the flows of energy. These figures echo his early interest in cartoons.
- #11 By 1981, the artist had merged two of his working styles. He combined his allover geometric abstractions with images of figures and objects. He accomplished this by filling only part of a composition with dense strokes which left the key figurative elements easily recognizable. These linear brushstrokes symbolize movement in a manner used by cartoonists.
- #13 Beginning in 1978, Haring ventured into New York’s public spaces to create art that was for everyone. He understood for his work to have a significant impact it needed to be experienced by diverse audiences. He furthered his commitment to creating a truly public art form by creating art in the streets and by giving his images away for free in the form of buttons, Xeroxed posters and flyers.
- #14 Haring’s activity in public spaces reached its climax when he began drawing his signature figures in chalk on pieces of black paper. This act of drawing in public without a license made his works an illegal form of communication. Because of the perceived vandalism Haring was arrested several times.
- #15 Haring’s Legacy Haring’s goal of creating art for everyone has inspired the contemporary practice of street art. Shepard Fairey’s Obey Giant closely follows the format of Haring’s radiant child as a viral image that has become seen as the artist’s signature. Haring’s aesthetic world lives on in the form of fashion, product designs and public murals that he created in various countries.