Keith Haring

Executed in 1984.

Private Collection, New York (acquired directly from the artist)
Christie's, New York, November 17, 2000, lot 523
Private Collection, United States
Sotheby's, New York, November 14, 2012, lot 305
Acquired from the above sale by the present owner

This work is in good condition. At the lower left corner there is a 26 cm by 3 cm cut inherent to the artist's working method. There are 2 repair patches of canvases, one 8,5 by 4 cm and the other 3 by 4,5 cm located in the lower right part of the work. Minor scattered stains across the surface of the work and scattered loose threads, small pinholes and tears along four edges. All condition issues above are inherent to the artist's working method as the canvas was cut from a stage set.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

“People understand my work, it can be read like a picture book. I do simple figures that are complex at the same time, like ideograms.”  Keith Haring

When Keith Haring moved to New York City in 1978 as a student at the School of Visual Arts, he found a thriving community of artists working in the streets, subways and disused clubs of the city. Inspired by the bold graffiti he encountered, he made a name for himself as an urban poet with his series of subway drawings. After noticing the empty advertising spaces in the subway stations were often covered with matte black paper, he began drawing simple images on them in white chalk. He created hundreds of these drawings developing, over time, his cast of iconic characters.

In 1982 Haring had his first official solo show at the Tony Shafrazi Gallery in New York. Hundreds flocked to see the space entirely transformed with Haring’s drawings, sculptures and painted tarpaulins. Highly acclaimed by critics, the show received worldwide media attention and established Keith as an icon of the New York art scene.

“This show was Haring epic, Part One, with all scenes, fragments, motifs and media assembled, structured graphically and architectonically.” Edit from Ak and Lisa Liebmann, 'Keith Haring: Tony Shafrazi Gallery', Artforum, January 1983

Untitled, 1984 is emblematic of Haring’s graphic style at this time: the composition is balanced yet bold; the hand of the artist is free, yet contained by the simple palette of red and black. The mirror image silhouette of the man dancing upside down suggests the emerging urban breakdancing craze. Haring’s vibrant red lines turn and twist creating movement and a sense of rhythm . Through the unparalleled energy of his signature style, which merged an urban aesthetic with the expertise of a modern master, a seemingly flat painting is brought to life.

The burgeoning hip-hop music scene of the city, with its break dancers, DJs, rappers, and graffiti artists was a constant inspiration to Haring, and the energetic nature of the music was a great influence on his artwork. He began to create a new visual vocabulary consisting of forms drawn to the rhythms and beats of the music as he listened.

Haring’s love for music drew him to work closely with dancers. In 1982, he collaborated with the well-known dancer and choreographer, Bill-T Jones. Together, they created a performance piece titled Long Distance, in which Jones danced to the rhythms and sounds of Haring’s brushstrokes as he painted the backdrop of the performance. The success resulted in another collaboration in 1984, when Haring designed the set for Secret Pastures at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, choreographed by Bill T Jones and Annie Zane. Untitled, 1984 is a section from this set, which explored themes such as race, sexuality, and AIDS.

Haring’s simplistic rendition of the human figure and his use of line, as well as the dots that often populate his works, bring to mind Native American and other tribal artworks. In an interview in 1985 Haring explained his own thoughts on Primitivism in his work.  “With me it’s not so much looking at or trying to imitate as much as it is trying to embody the idea of “primitivism” in my own approach to the work and my attitude towards drawing and towards the world.”  

Untitled encompasses plenty of aspects of culture such as primitivism, modernism, music and dance, a testament to the artist's influences on the 1980s New York pop-culture scene.