GD in Context, Week 1. Keith Haring, Art Relevant Protest, research

“It should be something that frees the soul, provokes the imagination and encourages people to move on. He praises humanity, but does not manipulate it. " Throughout his career, Haring made his art widely accessible thanks to the location of his frescoes, as well as through the Pop Shop - Haring's own showcase in which he sold his memorabilia. ( locals.md, 2016 )

The life cycle that Keith Haring did, an artist without an identifiable style, contained everything that would have evoked only negative emotions in modern Russia. A drug addict and a homosexual patient with AIDS, who calls not to hide, not to remain silent, to do all this is the subject of wide discussion. Yes, and depicting the fact that any layman will cause a cultural shock. Incomprehensible dogs that dance, bark, eat, pee, laugh - it's still nothing, but his painting can also revolve around not some phallic symbols there, but the most real erect male genitals.

The themes of his works were immediately social, symbolic, but eternal: love, war, life, death, sex. ( Croassarea, 2018 )

Keith Haring is believed to symbolize AIDS, but this is only partially true. With the same success, we can say that all the gloomy images with which his late toilet painting is saturated, is a cry for his own personality and behavior disorder. A fairly devout young man from a good family, and suddenly dies in the very dawn of his strength from AIDS, being also a drug addict. The term used above for toilets is not accidental. Creativity extended to their walls. One of the works, entitled Once Upon A Time, or “Once Upon a Time,” was performed in the men's room of a building in New York. During operation, the toilet did not close, and all its visitors could ask their questions to the creator right on the spot.

Perhaps, being the most recognizable of his works, these silk-screen printed figures were created by Haring for the Pop Shop, with the goal of conveying his work to the general public. They could be seen on things like t-shirts or magnets; they cemented Haring's success and made his household name.

The last large-scale wall painting was mural on the wall of the church of San Antonio in Italian Pisa. Everything is depicted in rainbow colors. But we have already met with the inner world of the artist. We are not confused that Pisa Mural seems to symbolize harmony in the world. We understand his soul. He painted Hell, the real Hell of the world, but painted it in bright and life-affirming colors. Apparently the Catholics of Italy appreciated the creations.

References :

Locals.md, (2016), 10 SIGNIFICANT WORKS OF THE POP ART KIT HARING GENIUS, https://locals.md/2016/10-znachitelnyih-rabot-geniya-pop-arta-kita-haringa/

Croassarea, (2018), Keith Haring - Artist,

https://crossarea.ru/street-art/artists/keith-haring/