Art for Everyone Keith Haring’s Message is Alive and Well

In honour of the new major retrospective that opened at The Broad, LA this summer, we wanted to spotlight the work of one of our favourite modern artists, Keith Haring! Haring’s energetic linework and playful figures are a distinct expression of the 1980s streetscape- defined by the convergence of early hip-hop, graffiti culture, pop media, and the fluorescent lights of city nightlife.

The exhibition’s title, Art is for Everybody, reflects Haring’s democratic approach to art appreciation. The artist rejected the stuffy formality of galleries, instead leveraging the power of graffiti and print media in service of accessibility. Haring began his career by making a mark (pun intended) on the New York subway system, creating hundreds of drawings in white chalk on unused advertising panels. The Broad’s exhibition centers on Haring’s vast activism, with work touching on themes like nuclear disarmament, apartheid, and HIV/AIDS- the disease from which he died in 1990. In the period between his diagnosis in 1988 and his death, the artist incorporated even more vibrancy into his work, focusing on celebratory scenes of life, birth, and liberation. Red Room, one of his most important canvases of this period, displays a Guernica-esque clash of patterns, but foregrounds a figure in repose who prioritizes enjoyment in the midst of chaos. A year before his passing, the artist established the Keith Haring Foundation with the aim of using his estate to support AIDS education, care, and prevention.

The exhibition is on in LA until October, when it will travel to the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto and the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis. A trip to Toronto to see this exuberant exhibition would be a great excuse for a mid-fall getaway!

Article contributed by Robin Rosenberg Fine Art

More about Robin Rosenberg Fine Art – Robin Rosenberg Fine Art (RRFA) is an international, full-service fine-art firm that specializes in 20th & 21st Century Modern and Contemporary Art by world-renowned artists.

Get inspired by these fun pieces and please contact us if any artists are of interest. Don’t forget to follow us on social media!