Art Is Power: Keith Haring

“I don’t think art is propaganda; it should be something that liberates the soul, provokes the imagination and encourages people to go further. It celebrates humanity instead of manipulating it.” – Keith Haring

Born and raised in Reading, Pennsylvania, Keith Haring is the subject of this Art Is Power special. Getting his start by drawings that were discovered in the New York City Subways, Keith went on to use his art as his voice to speak about highly controversial subjects of the time. His style of "Pop Art" is seen in all his paintings, and his use of loud colors and intricate designs make him one of the true founders of Pop Art. In 1988 he was diagnosed with HIV-AIDS, and used his last years of life creating art that enlisted and spoke about the illness of AIDS, and a push for the cure. In 1990, Keith died at the age of 31, but his legacy lives on today, with such artists like Madonna and U2 using his work on tour and in song. The Universe of Keith Haring is a 2008 documentary by the filmmaker Christina Clausen about Haring. In the film, the legacy of Haring is resurrected through colorful archival footage and remembered by friends and admirers such as artists Kenny Scharf and Yoko Ono, gallery owners Jeffrey Deitch and Tony Shafrazi, and the choreographer Bill T. Jones. Some of his work is displayed below...