Keith Haring: Art Is for Everybody

Haring's activism and passion for equality are embraced in this fresh, accessible, and dynamic examination of one of New York City's most invigorating creatives.

Luxuriously illustrated featuring essays and reflections from luminaries of culture, Keith Haring: Art Is for Everybody offers a comprehensive survey of Haring's inventive artistry from 1978 to 1990, illuminating the iconic and adored artist whose work is famous for its elastic, consistent lines, intricate schematics and recurring tropes like the alert canine and glowing infant. Forty years on, Haring's creations continue to be acknowledged globally, demolishing restrictions and instilling happiness, while engaging with complex matters relevant even now, from environmentalism and capitalism to advancements in technology, faith, sexuality, and racial discrimination. Authored with a quote taken directly from Haring's diaries, Art Is for Everybody centers on the artist's advocacy, the importance of collective action and his inclusive attitude toward artistry and life. This volume is arranged chronologically and thematically, highlighting Haring's projects intended for public engagement like the subway compositions and murals, his collaborative development and his unswerving belief that artistry.

Keith Haring was born in 1958 in Pennsylvania, eventually arriving in New York City from Pittsburgh in 1978. Haring would become close friends with renowned artists such as Kenny Scharf and Jean-Michel Basquiat, and eventually gained worldwide recognition in the 1980s through various solo and group exhibitions. In 1988, Haring was diagnosed with HIV, and he soon became an advocate for those affected by AIDS. Sadly, Haring passed away two years later due to an AIDS-related illness.