Keith Haring est un artiste américain né en 1958 et mort en 1990. Il appartient au mouvement de la Figuration Libre. S’il suit dès 1976 des études d’art à Pittsburg et à New York, il s’intéresse particulièrement à la sémiotique et cherche différentes manières d’utiliser le langage et l’écriture à travers le dessin. Pierre Alechinsky, Matisse, Jean Dubuffet, Christo sont ses référents artistiques. Il utilise la ligne comme fil conducteur de son discours. Il développe en conjuguant les lignes géométriques, les symboles, les hiéroglyphes un style et un vocabulaire qui lui sont propres. Keith Haring est un artiste ancré dans la réalité. Les thèmes qu’il aborde dans son travail vont de la technologie au télé-évangélisme, à la sexualité, à l’avidité, à la pauvreté, à la violence et au racisme. Il trouve son premier terrain d’expression de création en des emplacements publicitaires vides dans le métro de New-York. Il les inonde littéralement de dessins et notamment du célèbre « radiant baby ». Grâce à cela, Andy Warhol et le marchand d’art Tony Shafrazi le remarquent. Ce dernier lui offre sa première grande exposition qui marque le début de sa carrière internationale. Au même moment, il fréquente assidument Jean-Michel Basquiat et Andy Warhol. Ensemble, ils donnent une impulsion nouvelle au monde l’art. En 1986, Haring ouvre dans le quartier de Soho le “Pop Shop”. Dans ce magasin, qu’il a intégralement peint en noir et blanc, il vend des tee-shirts, des jouets, des posters et toutes sortes d’objets dérivés de ses œuvres. Il rend ainsi l’art accessible au plus grand nombre. Keith Haring est aussi un grand activiste culturel. Il s’engage contre la propagation du SIDA et se bat pour les droits des homosexuels contre la discrimination sociale. Il crée une fondation en 1989. Haring est mort du SIDA à 31 ans, laissant derrière lui une œuvre colossale alors qu’il n’a travaillé que 10 ans. Parmi d’innombrables dessins, peintures et sculptures, l’artiste a également peint des fresques dans des hôpitaux américains et européens et une partie du mur de Berlin coté ouest.
Keith Haring is an American artist born in 1958 and died in 1990. He belongs to the Figuration Libre movement. He studied art in Pittsburg and New York from 1976 and was particularly interested in semiotics, looking for different ways to use language and writing through drawing. Pierre Alechinsky, Matisse, Jean Dubuffe,t Christo are his artistic references. He uses the line as a thread of his speech. He develops by conjugating the geometrical lines, the symbols, the hieroglyphs a style and a vocabulary which are clean to him. Keith Haring is an artist anchored in reality. The themes he tackles in his work range from technology to televangelism, to sexuality, to greed, to poverty, to violence and racism. He found his first creative outlet in empty advertising spaces in the New York City subway system. He literally flooded them with drawings, including the famous "radiant baby". Thanks to this, Andy Warhol and the art dealer Tony Shafrazi noticed him. The latter offers him his first major exhibition which marks the beginning of his international career. At the same time, he assiduously frequents Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol. Together, they gave a new impulse to the art world. In 1986, Haring opened the "Pop Shop" in the Soho district. In this store, which he painted entirely in black and white, he sold tee-shirts, toys, posters, and all sorts of objects derived from his works. In this way he made art accessible to as many people as possible. Keith Haring is also a great cultural activist. He is committed against the spread of AIDS and fights for the rights of homosexuals against social discrimination. He created a foundation in 1989. Haring died of AIDS at the age of 31, leaving behind a colossal body of work after only 10 years of work. Among countless drawings, paintings and sculptures, the artist also painted murals in American and European hospitals and a part of the Berlin Wall on the west side.
Keith Haring is an American artist born in 1958 and died in 1990. He belongs to the Figuration Libre movement. He studied art in Pittsburg and New York from 1976 and was particularly interested in semiotics, looking for different ways to use language and writing through drawing. Pierre Alechinsky, Matisse, Jean Dubuffe,t Christo are his artistic references. He uses the line as a thread of his speech. He develops by conjugating the geometrical lines, the symbols, the hieroglyphs a style and a vocabulary which are clean to him. Keith Haring is an artist anchored in reality. The themes he tackles in his work range from technology to televangelism, to sexuality, to greed, to poverty, to violence and racism. He found his first creative outlet in empty advertising spaces in the New York City subway system. He literally flooded them with drawings, including the famous "radiant baby". Thanks to this, Andy Warhol and the art dealer Tony Shafrazi noticed him. The latter offers him his first major exhibition which marks the beginning of his international career. At the same time, he assiduously frequents Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol. Together, they gave a new impulse to the art world. In 1986, Haring opened the "Pop Shop" in the Soho district. In this store, which he painted entirely in black and white, he sold tee-shirts, toys, posters, and all sorts of objects derived from his works. In this way he made art accessible to as many people as possible. Keith Haring is also a great cultural activist. He is committed against the spread of AIDS and fights for the rights of homosexuals against social discrimination. He created a foundation in 1989. Haring died of AIDS at the age of 31, leaving behind a colossal body of work after only 10 years of work. Among countless drawings, paintings and sculptures, the artist also painted murals in American and European hospitals and a part of the Berlin Wall on the west side.