Keith Haring

Keith Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990) was an artist and social activist whose work responded to the New York City street culture of the 1980s. Haring was interested in art from an early age.. At age 19, in 1978, Haring moved to New York City, where he was inspired by graffiti art, and studied at the School of Visual Arts.

Haring achieved his first public attention with chalk drawings in the subways of New York (see public art). These were his first recognized pieces of pop art. His bold lines, vivid colours, and active figures carry strong messages of life and unity. Starting in 1980, he organized exhibitions in Club 57. He participated in the Times Square Exhibition and drew, for the first time, animals and human faces. In 1981 he sketched his first chalk drawings on black paper and painted plastic, metal and found objects.

He got to know Andy Warhol, who was the theme of several of Haring pieces including "Andy Mouse." His friendship with Warhol would prove to be a decisive element in his eventual success, particularly after their deaths.

In 1984, Haring visited Australia and painted wall murals in Melbourne. In 1985 Haring started to paint canvas. In 1986 Haring painted murals in Amsterdam, Paris, Phoenix and in Berlin on the Berlin Wall at Brandenburg Gate. His work began reflecting more social-political themes, such as anti Apartheid, AIDS awareness, and the crack cocaine epidemic. He even created several pop art pieces influenced by other products: Absolute Vodka, Lucky Strike cigarettes, and Coca-Cola.

Today, May 4, 2012, the 54th birthday of Haring, Google commemorates him in a Google Doodle.

Video extracted from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjKZzBFXBN0

Information extracted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Haring

Image extracted from: https://www.google.es/ (Google doodle image)

Search, find, discover, understand, learn..ENJOY!

Mary Cassatt said: •" I hated conventional art. I began to live.(..) 

I have touched with a sense of art some people – they felt the love and the life. Can you offer me anything to compare to that joy for an artist?"

You can memorize a long list of names, dates, events.
Although this exercise should be healthy for your brain, you have to consider how much important is to increase your love for Art and artists.

I´m trying to give you tools, not only Knowledge. Think by yourself so you´ll be free.

Al least, you have learnt a lot of new concepts and  I expect that you remember easily  some data about "your" artist.

I know that ´s very hard for you to learn a lot of concepts in a foreign language but change your mind, this is the way to enrich yourself.

We are a team, we have to work together!

Share your experiences, comment your opinion, give your help, you will improve faster and better.

Oral presentation of your slides is a good way to give confidence in yourself, practising vocabulary and pronunciation. 

Remembering April 23rd.: Marvellous Romeo and Juliet

Juliet:
O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.

Romeo:
[Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?

Juliet:
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy:
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? It is nor hand nor foot,

Nor arm nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O be some other name!
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
and for thy name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.

Romeo And Juliet Act 2, scene 2, 33–49




Juliet´s balcony, in Verona (Italy)

Students little gallery

Textures: You can feel  textures easily touching the surfaces, rough or soft. But also it´s possible to obtain several visual effects applying different techniques . Textures may be organic or geometrical. Surfaces and materials are relate to the final result: textures.

About Abstract Expressionism. In this composition, the students wanted to express some idea playing with different flat shapes, mainly circles and triangles. In this case, it´s very importante the use of colour in contrast and a background in black and white.

Collage: Using drawings in paper as a pattern, you can build a lot of shapes with the right combination of blanks and the  range of textures.

Over-lapping forms  and transparencies are ways to interpret new concepts in Abstract Art.
Tapiés and Miró could be the inspiration of our artists.

 Dot by dot, Divisionism theory goes so far with Puntillism. Those painters translated primary colours application in very short strokes in smaller dots of hue colours.
The most basic element of Visual Language changed the concept of the landscapes and canvases were covered in light and movement.










Here, you can appreciate the big talent of my students. Little by little, every week, I´ll try to upload more exercises from them. Enjoy it! I´m waiting for your comments!