How do you think Haring’s appreciation for graffiti contributed to his own work?
I think that the biggest ways that graffiti contributed to Haring’s work was in the ways that he wanted many people to see his work and in the way that he painted in public places. Both of these qualities complimented each other and achieved Haring’s goal of people seeing his work. In the film, Haring is shown doing chalk drawings in the subway stations of New York so that many people can see his work. Even an elderly woman was intrigued. This is something that graffiti artists tend to do. They’d paint in very public places for recognition. This is still true today when we see subway cars, abandoned trucks, walls, fences, and street posts covered in graffiti.
Why do you think Haring’s work appealed to so many people?
In my eyes, the bold lines, bright colors and simplicity of Haring’s work appeal to many different groups of people. Kids are drawn in by the colors and the interesting figures. Adults may be drawn in by the same thing, but keep looking so that they understand Haring’s overall message. The bold, black lines that Haring used are perfect and make you wonder whether a machine or a person did the outlines. All of these qualities combined draw in viewers and have made Haring’s work very popular worldwide.
What do you find most interesting about Haring’s methods of spreading his work all over the world?
The method I found most interesting was Haring’s Pop Shop. He did not create all these products to generate money, he simply wanted his work to be spread all over the world. People would buy these t-shirts and buttons and wear them so that the world could see. This method probably wasn’t popular to many people in the art world because they mistook this idea as a money-hungry method, but I think it is clever. Looking back on this idea, I think it really worked. I have seen Keith Haring t-shirts and posters before, which means he is still popular and people still want to wear these shirts.
Question: After Haring found out he had AIDS, he worked at a more rapid speed, saying he had so much to do. What do you think this says about him as an artist?
I liked your questions and pictures here. I forgot about the Pop Shop until I read your questions and it was really cool that you brought it up. I think you do a very good job of answering them as well. Your answers are very detailed and I can tell you watched the films.
ReplyDeleteI think that Haring working at a more rapid speed after his diagnosis shows what a determined and caring artist he was. Not only caring about himself, but the people who would be viewing his paintings as well. He felt the need to get more out there and to spread his work so that others could enjoy it and learn from it. I think this is an admirable quality. He was very passionate about his work and determined to finish what he could before his time was up. This shows what a strong connection he had to his art and that it was his passion for a very long time.