Kei­th HARING was born in Penn­syl­va­nia in 1958. From 1976 to 1978 he stud­ied com­mer­cial graph­ics at the Art School in Pitts­burgh and from 1978 to 1979 at the School of Visu­al Arts in New York. Har­ing was inspired by the work of Roy Liecht­en­stein and graf­fi­ti art in New York. His works, which were ini­tial­ly cre­at­ed in chalk, quick­ly brought him atten­tion in the art scene. In his com­ic strips, which were cre­at­ed with a visu­al lan­guage based on com­put­er and adver­tis­ing graph­ics, cheer­ful scenes dom­i­nate. In lat­er works Har­ing also took on polit­i­cal and social issues. In 1982 Har­ing took part in doc­u­men­ta 7 (1983) in Kas­sel, in 1983 in the Whit­ney Bien­nale (for Amer­i­can con­tem­po­rary art) in New York and in the Bien­nale in São Paulo. In 1985 he start­ed paint­ing on can­vas. At the same time, the Muse­um of Con­tem­po­rary Art in Bor­deaux showed a solo exhi­bi­tion of his works. In the same year Har­ing took part in the Bien­nale de Paris. In 1986 there was a large solo exhi­bi­tion at the Stedeli­jek Muse­um in Ams­ter­dam and Har­ing opened the Pop Shop in SoHo, a shop where his works and copies were sold. Har­ing took part in many exhi­bi­tions and real­ized numer­ous pub­lic projects. In 1985 he fell ill with the HIV virus. In the fol­low­ing works he pri­mar­i­ly focus­es on his ill­ness. Kei­th Har­ing devel­oped an unmis­tak­able style. In his pic­tures he worked with sev­er­al lev­els of mean­ing and inter­pre­ta­tion in order to make them as diverse as the peo­ple them­selves. For this he used sim­ple shapes, eas­i­ly rec­og­niz­able and with­out pre­de­fined titles, in order to allow the viewer’s asso­ci­a­tions to run wild. Kei­th Har­ing dies in New York in 1990.

Kei­th HARING was born in Penn­syl­va­nia in 1958. From 1976 to 1978 he stud­ied com­mer­cial graph­ics at the Art School in Pitts­burgh and from 1978 to 1979 at the School of Visu­al Arts in New York. Har­ing was inspired by the work of Roy Liecht­en­stein and graf­fi­ti art in New York. His works, which were ini­tial­ly cre­at­ed in chalk, quick­ly brought him atten­tion in the art scene. In his com­ic strips, which were cre­at­ed with a visu­al lan­guage based on com­put­er and adver­tis­ing graph­ics, cheer­ful scenes dom­i­nate. In lat­er works Har­ing also took on polit­i­cal and social issues. In 1982 Har­ing took part in doc­u­men­ta 7 (1983) in Kas­sel, in 1983 in the Whit­ney Bien­nale (for Amer­i­can con­tem­po­rary art) in New York and in the Bien­nale in São Paulo. In 1985 he start­ed paint­ing on can­vas. At the same time, the Muse­um of Con­tem­po­rary Art in Bor­deaux showed a solo exhi­bi­tion of his works. In the same year Har­ing took part in the Bien­nale de Paris. In 1986 there was a large solo exhi­bi­tion at the Stedeli­jek Muse­um in Ams­ter­dam and Har­ing opened the Pop Shop in SoHo, a shop where his works and copies were sold. Har­ing took part in many exhi­bi­tions and real­ized numer­ous pub­lic projects. In 1985 he fell ill with the HIV virus. In the fol­low­ing works he pri­mar­i­ly focus­es on his ill­ness. Kei­th Har­ing devel­oped an unmis­tak­able style. In his pic­tures he worked with sev­er­al lev­els of mean­ing and inter­pre­ta­tion in order to make them as diverse as the peo­ple them­selves. For this he used sim­ple shapes, eas­i­ly rec­og­niz­able and with­out pre­de­fined titles, in order to allow the viewer’s asso­ci­a­tions to run wild. Kei­th Har­ing dies in New York in 1990.


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