Keith Haring
Keith Haring Handwritten letter 1986 (Keith Haring letter)
1986

Name: Keith Haring Handwritten letter 1986 (Keith Haring letter)
Brand: Keith Haring
Price: 5400 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

Keith Haring handwritten letter 1986: A rare 1980’s handwritten letter by Keith Haring executed on the artist's personal stationary. A personal response by Haring to a New York based editor named Ira Cohen. Endearingly signed, ‘Chow Keith’ to the lower mid-right; with the envelope also baring Haring's handwriting; postmarked November 1986. A unique 1980s Keith Haring collectible constructed by Haring at the height of his career. Medium: Ink on paper. Letter: 8.5x11 inches. Envelope: 4.5 x 9.5 inches. Very good overall vintage condition. Post-marked November 1986. Hand-signed to the mid-lower right. Well-suited for framing alongside the artist's envelope. Keith Haring was born in 1958 in Reading, Pennsylvania. From a young age he enjoyed drawing, especially Disney characters and other cartoons. He initially wanted to become a commercial artist but after a year at the Ivy School of Professional Art in Pittsburgh, Haring dropped, moved to New York City and enrolled in the School of Visual Arts (SVA). Haring immediately felt connected to the thriving alternative arts scene happening downtown in the late 1970s and became friends with Jean-Michel Basquiat and Kenny Scharf. Inspired by the ideals of “art as life” and moving the art experience out of galleries and into the streets, Haring’s first major works were his subway drawings. Throughout the 1980s, Haring was committed to democratizing the art experience and along with paintings, he also created theater sets, billboards, murals, advertising campaigns and even a line of Swatch watches. In 1986 he opened the Pop Shop in SoHo, selling apparel, posters and toys bearing his drawings. This was a controversial move, as many galleries criticized Haring for “de-valuing” the art object while others, such as Andy Warhol, championed Haring’s insistence on making art accessible and affordable. Pop Shop was highly influential to contemporary crossovers of art and merchandise that are now so dominant, as in the work of Jeff Koons, Yayoi Kusama, KAWS, Shepard Fairey and Takashi Murakami. Since his death in 1990, Haring has become one of the most widely-recognized and celebrated artists of the 20th century, priming the path for the rise of graffiti and street art in the 21st century and a socially-conscious approach to talking about sexuality, intimacy and visibility through public art. Related Categories Keith Haring ephemera. Keith Haring prints. Graffiti. Street Art. Signed Keith Haring. Keith Haring posters. Keith Haring letter. Keith Haring 1989.

Creator:

Keith Haring (1958-1990, American)

Creation Year:

1986

Dimensions:

Height: 11 in (27.94 cm)Width: 8.5 in (21.59 cm)

Medium:

Paper,Ink

Movement & Style:

Pop Art

Period:

1980-1989