Martin Lawrence Galleries Presents Works by Legendary Artist and Social Activist Keith Haring

About

Haring spoke for an entire generation, andhis artworks concerning issues, like a political dictatorship, racism, homophobia, drug addiction, AIDS awareness, capitalism, and the environment, remain relevant and urgent today

The exhibition works include Andy Mouse, a hand-signed silkscreen inspired by Haring's friendship with Andy Warhol and Growing a unique trial-proof hand-signed screenprint, among many others.

When Warhol and Haring initially met, they discovered they had a mutual admiration for Walt Disney. Haring began to create "Andy Mouse" imagery surrounded by '$' signs – a nod to his colleague's artistic and commercial success and their personal Disney connection. In the Andy Mouse print series from 1986, Haring shows Warhol with his signature ruffled hair and colored sunglasses in mouse-like form - full, round ears, a thin-curled tail, and wearing Mickey-Esque double button trousers.  In this manner, Haring wishes to emphasize his friend’s status as an “iconic American figure” to a similar level as Disney’s world-famous mascot.

'The Mickey Mouse figure came out of drawing Mickey Mouse a lot when I was little. I've appreciated this anew because the drawings I'm doing now have more to do with what I drew in high school than with anything I did in art school.  I did it partly because I could draw it so well and partly because it's such a loaded image. It's ultimately a symbol of America more than anything else.' – Keith Haring from Haring, Warhol, Disney.

'You see, whatever I've done would not have been possible without Andy.  Had Andy not broken the concept of what art is supposed to be, I just wouldn't have been able to exist.' – Keith Haring from Keith Haring: The Authorized Biography

About Keith Haring

Keith Haring was an American artist who intertwined social activism into every piece of work he produced. Unafraid to bring controversial topics such as sexuality, racism, and socioeconomic disparity into the forefront, Haring is still regarded as one of the most recognizable artists of the late 20th century and its upheavals. Inspired by the cartoons of his childhood, his artistic style was deceptively simple, spontaneous, and universally relatable in its iconography - he was a natural visual storyteller. His characters were often repeated again and again in endless permutations, emphasizing specific themes through bold colors, patterns, figures, and symbols. Unfulfilled by commercial or corporate artistic environments, Haring decided to make the city of New York his home and attended The School of Visual Arts and made NYC his canvas and strived to make his work as accessible for the public as possible. Through his community-based aspirations, Haring opened his Pop Shop, toured the globe, and collaborated with like-minded peers and colleagues like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, and Kenny Sharf and collaborated with celebrities like the singer Grace Jones. Diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 1988, Haring’s prodigious career was brief, and he died of AIDS-related complications on February 16th, 1990, at the age of 31. Before his death, Haring established the Keith Haring Foundation, a non-profit committed to raising awareness of the illness through art programing and community outreach. Diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 1988, Haring's prodigious career was brief, and he died of AIDS-related complications on February 16th, 1990, at the age of 31. Before his death, Haring established the Keith Haring Foundation, a non-profit committed to raising awareness of the illness through art programming and community outreach. 

Martin Lawrence Galleries currently has on loan three spectacular works from our Haring collection to the Haring Exhibition at the Tate Liverpool. The works will then travel to The Center for Fine Arts (Bozar) in Brussels, followed by Museum Folkwang, Essen.

Opening Reception

Friday, November 22nd, 2019 6:00-8:00 PM

RSVP (212) 995-8865 soho@martinlawrence.com

Martin Lawrence Galleries

457 West Broadway

New York, NY 10012