Keith Haring’s Earliest Posters Go On Display
Ignorance = Fear, Silence = Death, Fight Aids Act Up, Courtesy Keith Haring Foundation

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Keith Haring’s Earliest Posters Go On Display

A retrospective post show documenting the rise and popularity of Haring’s boldly-outlined ‘radiant child.’

Keith Haring, a superstar artist of the 80s and now a household name, knew the power of a strong aesthetic voice. At the School of Visual Arts, Haring developed his eponymous bold-lined figures, accompanied by even bolder, activism-tinged mantras. Fans know him for the cultural proliferation of his graphic works, which ranged from a Spectacolor billboard in the center of Times Square to a pop-up shop of paraphernalia covered with his original graphics. His aesthetics worked towards democratizing art for a larger audience.

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Haring's public art pieces throughout New York City have become landmark spaces themselves. His 1988 mural, Crack Is Wack, painted on a Harlem handball court, addressed the serious epidemic during the 80s while maintaining his artwork's special attribute of accessibility. Today, Haring's early posters, many created while he was a student at SVA, will show at the Museum Für Kunst and Gewerbe in Hamburg, Germany. The posters, which date back to 1982, when he created the first four of his poster works. After that relatively modest period of creation, the artist would increase his output drastically, making sometimes 20 posters a year.

See a few images from the solo exhibition, Keith Haring. Posters, below:

Keith Haring (1958-1990) American Music Festival – New York City Ballet, 1988 Siebdruck | silk-screen print © Keith Haring Foundation. All images courtesy MK&G

Keith Haring (1958-1990) National Coming Out Day, entstanden für die | created for the "National Gay Rights Advocates", New York, USA, 1988 Offsetlithografie | offset lithograph, 66 x 58,4 cm © Keith Haring Foundation

Keith Haring (1958-1990) Crack Down!, 1986 Offsetlithografie | offset lithograph, 56 x 43,4 cm © Keith Haring Foundation

Keith Haring (1958-1990) The Humane Society of Broward County, 1987 Offsetlithografie | offset lithograph, 86,2 x 55,8 cm © Keith Haring Foundation

Keith Haring (1958-1990) Montreux 1983, 17ème Festival du Jazz, Juillet 8-24, 1983 Siebdruck | silk-screen print, 100 x 70 cm © Keith Haring Foundation

Keith Haring (1958-1990) Pisa 89, 1989 Offsetdruck | offset print, 100 x 79,8 cm © Keith Haring Foundation

© Photo: Michaela Hille

© Photo: Michaela Hille