Martin Lawrence Galleries

About the Work

Keith Haring was an artist that intertwined social activism into every piece of work he produced. Unafraid to bring controversial topics such as sexuality, racism, and socioeconomic disparity into the forefront, Haring is still regarded as one of the most recognizable artists of the 20^th century. Inspired by the cartoons of his childhood, His artistic style was simplistic, spontaneous, and universally relatable in its iconography; he was a naturally visual storyteller. His characters were often repetitive, emphasizing specific themes through bold colors and patterns. Unfulfilled by commercial or corporate artistic environments, Haring decided to make the city of New York his canvas and aimed to make his work as accessible for the public as possible. From notebooks to large subway murals, Haring always found somewhere to leave his mark on the world through his art. Haring during his short life accumulated a great deal of recognition for his work and activism and will always be remembered as an artist for the people.

As an artist, Haring was profound in the way he used simple images and figures to convey complex concepts and ideas. He sought to unify people through art that discussed the human experience and “Growing, 1988 (#2)” is a powerful example. In this work, you see one pitch black figure diverging into many, all connected by the same lime green outline. Green ‘motion’ lines dance across the red background and two bright green and yellow circles almost project from the body’s center. Through this work, Haring wished to explore the many social aspects that can be found within every individual; identity, social status, race and culture, and how all of these differences can make us one and the same. “Growing, 1988 (#2)” is a 30 x 40 – inch hand signed trial proof screen-print.