Keith Haring – International Volunteer Day

Description

Keith Haring, International Volunteer Day is an original screenprint from the edition of 1000.  This print is signed and dated in the lower right corner, and numbered in the lower left corner.

Maintaining Haring’s penchant for jazzy hieroglyphics, and saturated, bright coloring, “International Volunteer Day” was created for the World Federation of the United Nations Association in 1988.

Bridging the gap between the art world and the street, Keith Haring rose to prominence in the early 1980s with his graffiti drawings made in the subways and on the sidewalks of New York City. Combining the appeal of cartoons with the raw energy of Art Brut artists like Jean DuBuffet, Haring developed a distinct pop-graffiti aesthetic centered on fluid, bold outlines against a dense, rhythmic overspread of imagery like that of babies, barking dogs, flying saucers, hearts, and Mickey Mouse. In his subway drawings and murals, Haring explored themes of exploitation, subjugation, drug abuse, and rising fears of nuclear holocaust, which became increasingly apocalyptic after his AIDS diagnosis. Alongside Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kenny Scharf, and Jenny Holzer, Haring is regarded as a leading figure in New York East Village Art scene in the 1970s and ’80s.

Keith Haring was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, on May 4, 1958. He was raised in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, by his mother Joan Haring, and father Allen Haring, an engineer and amateur cartoonist. His family attended the United Church of God. He became interested in art at a very early age spending time with his father producing creative drawings. His early influences included Walt Disney cartoons, Dr. Seuss, Charles Schulz, and the Looney Tunes characters in The Bugs Bunny Show.

He eventually left his religious background behind and hitchhiked across the country, selling vintage T-shirts and experimenting with drugs. He studied commercial art from 1976 to 1978 at Pittsburgh’s Ivy School of Professional Art but lost interest in it. He made the decision to leave after having read Robert Henri’s The Art Spirit (1923), which inspired him to concentrate on his own art.

Keith Haring International Volunteer Day created for International Volunteer Day (IVD) (originally and still known as International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development) (December 5) is an international observance designated by the United Nations since 1985. It offers an opportunity for volunteer organizations and individual volunteers to make their contributions visible – at local, national and international levels – to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals

Keith Haring, International Volunteer Day