Keith Haring

It's about understanding not only the work, but the world we live in and the times we live in and being a kind of mirror on that. I think it happens really naturally and inevitably if you are honest with yourself and your times (Redd, 1997).

Keith Haring was born in Kutztown, Pennsylvania in 1958, and went to New York City at age 19 to study at the School of Visual Arts. Prior to studying in New York, Haring attended the Ivy School of Professional Art in Pittsburgh, and became involved with the Pittsburgh Arts and Crafts Center. But it was in New York City that he made his mark. He started as a graffiti artist in the city's subways and by the time of his death at age 31 in 1990, he had become one of the most prolific, humanistic, and popular artists of his time. His art, his influence and his activism have lasted well beyond his death from AIDS.

Harding's philosophy of art was based on his belief that art needed to be demystified in order for it to be accessible to all people, not just well-to-do gallery and museum goers. "One of his great

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uld be seen in museums and prominent art galleries. He remained true to his philosophy of art and even as his art became more varied, he remained true to public art works. By the time of his death, he had completed more than 50 mural and sculpture projects throughout the world, in addition to other art. A look at several of his works reveals not only his variety and growth as an artist, but his philosophy as well. The most famous subway chalk drawing is probably "Mickey's Face" which today is valued at $16,000. It's a simple, yet bold, depiction of one of America's (and the world's) most famous icons. The drawing is a continuous line of white chalk on black paper. Other well-known Haring icons are the barking dog and the little man, but perhaps the most famous is the "Radiant Child" image, a brightly colored, faceless baby crawling on all fours with lines radiating from the baby that may be seen as spiritual light turning the baby into some kind of holy figure; the work is quite different from traditional religious paintings, however, with its bold colors and simple lines resembling a cartoon. By using such a simple, recognizable symbol as "Radiant Baby" the viewer immediately understands the historical spiritual reference. In
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