Saturday, September 18, 2010

Keith Haring, the King of 1980s Pop Art


Pop art has always been very hip with young people. Kids from the 1960s had Andy Warhol. Children of the 1970s had Peter Max (I had a Peter Max bed sheet set and loved it!) and we 1980s kids had Keith Haring.


Danny, my BFF in 7th grade (1985), first introduced me to cool Keith Haring designs. He had several Keith Haring Swatch watches, which we thought were totally awesome. I remember posters, t-shirts, stickers and other collectibles could be purchased at Pop Shop on NYC's Lafayette Street in SoHo. The stuff wasn't cheap of course, but it was so rad, you had to have something Keith Haring if you were truly hip and new wave.
  
Fast Facts About Keith Haring
  • Keith Haring was born in Reading, Pennsylvania and grew up in Kutztown, Pennsylvania.
  • He studied graphic design at The Ivy School of Professional Art in Pittsburgh between 1976-78.
  • Keith Haring moved to NYC at age 19 and studied at SVA, School of Visual Arts.
  • Keith Haring died on February 16, 1990 of AIDS-related complications.  
  • All ticket proceeds of Madonna's first New York date of her Blond Ambition World Tour went towards AIDS charities including AIDS Project Los Angeles and amfAR.  
  • Keith Haring's work was included in the song "Into the Groove" during Madonna's live performances on her 2008 tour and during the U2 performance on the 1997/1998 PopMart Tour.


11 comments:

Pat Tillett said...

I've seen his art, but had no idea who he was, or anything about him at all. An amazingly talented guy.

1950s Atomic Ranch House said...

My best friend knows the guy who was entrusted to Keith's apartment by Keith, when Keith passed away. Guy had a big art gallery in NY up until recently... The name of which escapes my mind at the mo... I've spoken to him, but cannot remember his art gallery grrr lol...

1950s Atomic Ranch House said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
KristinFilut said...

I had so many Keith Haring buttons and other things I purchased at the Walker Art Museum in Minneapolis when I was a kid. I really dug his stuff.

Macey said...

I've seen his stuff but I didn't know who he was! :)

Anonymous said...

ditto for me, I've seen his art, didn't know who he was. :-)

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

It's nice to know that Madonna paid tribute to Keith Haring that way.
xoRobyn

Riot Kitty said...

I've always liked his stuff. Who was Peter Max though?

Anonymous said...

I actually lived in a town that bordered his home town...Kutztown...for 19 years. He definitely was worthy of all the honors his home town bestowed on him

ISRAEL CARRASCO said...

Here is another fact. he learned many of his designs by getting "tips" from a young Puertorican graffiti artistnamed Angel Ortiz who showed him how to do the designs and colors that he became well known for later. Many Haring paintings were actually done by Angel Ortiz AKA LA2.
http://www.graffiti.org/la2/index.html

Copyboy said...

I've been to that store. Man that Keith was a genius. FYI...I had a Peter Max tie back in the day. Made me the flyest kid in Jr. High.

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