The 1990s were a time of social and cultural change. Especially in art, many artists brought about great changes, with Keith Haring being one of them.
Haring drew and painted murals in public places and merged this with his own philosophy. The feedback he received from the people around him both inspired and fascinated him. Even though he was still young, he had developed a very special idea of what art should be.
Realizing that commercial art was not his thing, Haring went to New York in 1978 to resume his studies in painting. Shortly after his arrival, he was accepted at the School of Visual Art to study semiotics.
The city offered many opportunities for artistic expression. Haring never hesitated to use them to reveal those images that existed in his imagination. Everywhere he went, he discovered empty spaces, especially in the subway area. He felt as if white chalk was an inherent part of the surface he was painting. He would fill them with quickly drawn images and in doing so created some of his signature works. These include “The Radiant Baby”, figures with televisions for heads, barking dogs, and several others. He would produce up to forty subway drawings in a single day. People would often stop and talk to Haring while he was working.
Haring undoubtedly belonged to the greatest artists of his time. Basquiat and Andy Warhol he counted among his closest friends. His story ends on a sad note, as he was diagnosed with AIDS in 1988. At that time, there was no remedy for this disease. This is reflected in his art, which Haring uses as an outlet to come to terms with his situation. In 1990 he died as a result of his illness.
