“All of the things that you make are a kind of quest for immortality. Because you’re making these things that you know have a different kind of life. They don’t depend on breathing, so they’ll last longer than any of us will. Which is sort of an interesting idea, that it’s sort of extending your life to some degree.”
-Keith Haring, 1988
You may not recognize his face or name. But when you see a Keith Haring piece – you know it.
Haring created iconic pop art throughout the 1980s and defied the art world, on a mission to make his work available to the masses.
Some of his most famous pieces are now on display at the Arlington Museum of Art. “Keith Haring: Against All Odds” opened Friday, June 21, 2019 and features 50 original pieces. The art is on loan from one of the largest Haring collectors in the world.
Haring often used New York City walls and subway platforms as a canvas. So to have such a large collection on display is a true gift to the Arlington community.
Many of the pieces feature characters or images from popular culture, with a much deeper meaning.
“He draws you in with familiar concepts and gives you a push and a challenge,” said Chris Hightower, Board Chair, Arlington Museum of Art. “That’s what makes his work timeless – familiar themes, but the challenge makes them more interesting.”
Haring was openly gay and died at just 31 years old from AIDS-related health issues.
The exhibit is opening in Arlington as the LGBTQ community marks 50 years since the Stonewall riots, which gave rise to the gay rights movement.
“We specifically wanted to do this exhibit at this time because it brings back the safe sex movement of the 1980s, the AIDS epidemic, LGBT rights,” Hightower said. “We wanted to bring all that together at this specific time. Luckily, it worked out.”
Hightower believes if Haring were still alive, he’d appreciate the progress made but would still be pushing the movement forward.
“It’s changed so much in the past 25 years, but there’s still places he’d want to make some changes,” Hightower said.
In a quest to make his art widely available, Haring opened The Pop Shop, which sold his work on everything from t-shirts to coffee mugs. In one interview, Haring said, “I bypassed them [critics] and found my public without them. They didn’t have the chance to take credit for what I did.”
The Arlington Museum of Art exhibit features a smaller version of the shop, with similar merchandise for sale.
After being diagnosed with AIDS, Haring said art helped him cope with the idea of death, knowing he created work that will “last longer than any of us will.”
The new exhibit proves he was right.
“Keith Haring: Against All Odds” is open through September 15 at the Arlington Museum of Art, in Downtown Arlington. Click here for more information.
Click here to learn more about Haring’s work and The Keith Haring Foundation.
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