Keith Haring

Activism Through Art

Presenter: Daisy Franco

Presenter Status: Undergraduate student

Academic Year: 20-21

Semester: Fall

Faculty Mentor: Anne-Louise Dierkes

Department: Art

Funding Source/Sponsor: SYRCE Symposium

Screenshot URL: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1kM5Vxp9IJwe9QB8ISBv0kv_oiIE49ZQB

Abstract:
Keith Haring was born on May 4th, 1958 in Reading, a small town in Pennsylvania, to parents Joan Haring and Allen Haring. His father was an amateur cartoonist, which is why Keith became interested in art at a young age. His artwork was noticed during the early 1980's on the subway of New York city. He created hundreds of drawings in the subway between 1980-1985. He also helped spread political and social messages, such as the prevention of AIDS and acceptance of homosexuality. He also expressed political messages throughout the world such as his artwork, Free South Africa, (1985) which opposed institutionalized racial segregation in South Africa. He also expressed political messages by creating the Berlin Wall Mural, (1986), which symbolized the movement of people between East Berlin and the Federal Republic of West Germany. He was devoted to allowing everyone in the world to have access to his art, so he opened up a pop-up show in So-Ho. This allowed anyone to be able to purchase his artwork at an affordable price. He was a genuine person who also took part in selfless activities, including painting murals with and for children. He also fought against drugs, creating murals such as Crack is Wack Mural, New York (1986). Haring was diagnosed with AIDS in 1988. Before his death in 1990 he created the Keith Haring foundation. This foundation gives grants to non-profit agencies that support programs that enrich lives of underprivileged children and educate people about HIV and AIDS infection and the prevention of HIV/AIDS. Even though Keith Haring died in 1990, through his work and his foundation, he will forever live as an advocate for social and political causes.