Keith haring artist
Keith haring
American Graffiti Artist, Sculptor, and Muralist
Died: February 16, 1990 - New York,
Born: May 4, 1958 - Reading, Pennsylvania
Childhood
Keith Haring was born on May 4, 1958 in Reading, Pennsylvania, but grew up in nearby Kutztown, Pennsylvania. He discovered a love for drawing at an early age, learning basic cartooning skills from his father who drew comics for a hobby. Like many children of his generation he was an admirer of the popular animation of Disney, Dr. Seuss and Looney Toons.
Early Training
After High School In 1976, Haring enrolled in the Ivy School of Professional Art in Pittsburgh. After only two semesters, he realized that he had no interest in becoming a commercial graphic artist and dropped out. He remained temporarily in Pittsburgh and continued to study and work on his own. His critical influences at this time were a 1977 Pierre Alechinsky retrospective and a lecture by the sculptor Christo. In 1978 Haring had the good fortune to be invited for his first solo exhibition at the Pittsburgh Arts and Crafts Center when the Center's first choice artist cancelled. This gave him the confidence for the next big move in his fledgling art career - relocating to New York City.
Mature Period
Between 1978 to 1982 Haring established himself as a respected "rebel" artist of the street and alternative indoor spaces, outside the elite New York art world. Eventually, he accepted representation from Tony Shafrazi and in 1982 made his high visibility fine art debut with a popular and highly acclaimed one-man exhibition at Shafrazi's Soho gallery. Over the next few years he participated in notable international exhibitions such as Documenta 7 in Kassel, the Sao Paulo Biennial, and the Whitney Biennial in New York.
Throughout the 1980s he produced dozens of murals and public works all over the world, including in Europe, South America, and Australia. Through his travels, he saw the art of ancient cultures up-close, such as the Maya of Central America, Bahia-Brazil's peoples of mixed African and native descent, and the Aborigines of Australia, all of which had a lasting influence on his artwork. He also created a mural for the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty in 1986, on which he worked with 900 children. The following year he created a mural for Necker Children's Hospital in Paris, France, and a mural on the western side of the Berlin Wall (three years before it fell.) He also made lucrative commercial deals developing watch designs for Swatch and an advertising campaign for Absolut Vodka. He even painted bodies, including celebrities such as the iconic 1980's musician and performing artist Grace Jones. Much of his art was now politically charged such as the campaign to raise awareness about AIDS and South African Apartheid.
Born: May 4, 1958 - Reading, Pennsylvania
Childhood
Keith Haring was born on May 4, 1958 in Reading, Pennsylvania, but grew up in nearby Kutztown, Pennsylvania. He discovered a love for drawing at an early age, learning basic cartooning skills from his father who drew comics for a hobby. Like many children of his generation he was an admirer of the popular animation of Disney, Dr. Seuss and Looney Toons.
Early Training
After High School In 1976, Haring enrolled in the Ivy School of Professional Art in Pittsburgh. After only two semesters, he realized that he had no interest in becoming a commercial graphic artist and dropped out. He remained temporarily in Pittsburgh and continued to study and work on his own. His critical influences at this time were a 1977 Pierre Alechinsky retrospective and a lecture by the sculptor Christo. In 1978 Haring had the good fortune to be invited for his first solo exhibition at the Pittsburgh Arts and Crafts Center when the Center's first choice artist cancelled. This gave him the confidence for the next big move in his fledgling art career - relocating to New York City.
Mature Period
Between 1978 to 1982 Haring established himself as a respected "rebel" artist of the street and alternative indoor spaces, outside the elite New York art world. Eventually, he accepted representation from Tony Shafrazi and in 1982 made his high visibility fine art debut with a popular and highly acclaimed one-man exhibition at Shafrazi's Soho gallery. Over the next few years he participated in notable international exhibitions such as Documenta 7 in Kassel, the Sao Paulo Biennial, and the Whitney Biennial in New York.
Throughout the 1980s he produced dozens of murals and public works all over the world, including in Europe, South America, and Australia. Through his travels, he saw the art of ancient cultures up-close, such as the Maya of Central America, Bahia-Brazil's peoples of mixed African and native descent, and the Aborigines of Australia, all of which had a lasting influence on his artwork. He also created a mural for the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty in 1986, on which he worked with 900 children. The following year he created a mural for Necker Children's Hospital in Paris, France, and a mural on the western side of the Berlin Wall (three years before it fell.) He also made lucrative commercial deals developing watch designs for Swatch and an advertising campaign for Absolut Vodka. He even painted bodies, including celebrities such as the iconic 1980's musician and performing artist Grace Jones. Much of his art was now politically charged such as the campaign to raise awareness about AIDS and South African Apartheid.
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