Late Keith Haring, an artist from the 80s, is having a major comeback. His designs are seen plastered upon clothing, backpacks and mugs worldwide. But who is Keith Haring, and why is he only gaining recognition now?
“Between 1980 and 1990, Keith Haring established himself as an art world celebrity and pop culture icon with a distinctive and instantly recognizable style that came to define the decade,” PBS stated.
Haring was born in 1958 and grew up around graffiti and bold colors in New York. His easily identified style developed from the graffiti subculture of New York in the 80’s.
Despite his recent rise in popularity, Haring was prominent in the artistic world earlier than most would assume. The late artist passed away at age thirty-one in 1990 due to complications with AIDs, so all of his artwork was created over thirty years ago.
“Even though he was seriously working for just over a decade, he created a massive body of work in that short amount of time,” The New York Times wrote.
Haring’s early passing did not result in a lack of artwork. The artist produced an estimated 10,000 pieces of art and fifty public murals in his mere ten years as a professional artist. He ensured his art was accessible to the public and cheap enough for most to purchase.
“He wanted people who could not afford a $40,000 painting to be able to buy a $25 T-shirt,” the New York Times stated.
Haring was accused of selling out, but he persevered in his career, which explains his motto, “Art is for everybody.” He also made the best of his platform through activism for causes ahead of his time. These factors explain why he is now gaining such popularity in the present. He was an activist for AIDS and LGBTQ+ rights, as well as environmentalism.
“Everything that Keith, his work and his activism addressed is still really important in our era today,” the New York Times wrote.
Behind Haring’s art is a simple message of love and acceptance. Since these are such important topics of discussion, his work is admired by many. Additionally, the simplicity that comes along with his art allows it to work in various settings, such as a high-end art gallery or on a t-shirt where you see someone walking down the street.
“There is a growing interest in that era [the 80’s] and generation of New York artists,” The Guardian wrote.
Increased interest in art and culture among younger generations has played a massive role in Haring’s recent popularity. There are now over 300 art schools in the United States of America, while back in the 1980s, art school was barely accepted as a legitimate form of education.
“Haring’s work continues to dissolve barriers between art and life and spread joy, all while being rooted in the creative spirit and mission of his subway drawings and renowned public murals: art is for everybody,” the Broad stated.
Haring’s success in pop culture has allowed him to have his exhibition in Los Angeles’ The Broad Art Museum, containing over 120 pieces of art. His exhibition, Art is for Everybody, dives into deeper and darker topics, including capitalism, white supremacy, patriarchy and AIDs awareness.
Haring’s simplistic yet inspiring artwork will be around for years to come, forever living through the millions of t-shirts it is printed on, spreading love and acceptance, thus proving that art is for everybody.
