Late and great artist, Keith Haring, was a man of many skills. His work shined a light on his advocacy for youth in urban neighborhoods, LGBTQ individuals, and those afflicted by AIDs. Haring was an individual who challenged the norms of the art world by seeing everything as a canvas. An artist with an unprecedented and extremely creative ability for choosing his canvas, Haring has created an extensive body of work that unfolds across numerous mediums. His artwork can be found almost anywhere in the city; he is prevalent even in the most surprising places. Visiting some of the places where his art is on display gives one a chance to experience the different sides of him. His work is hosted in vastly contrasting lights, which allows people to view Haring as a dynamic being instead of just an unconventional artist.
The first stop on the list is the public pool on Carmine Street. Alongside the west wall is a mural by Haring that stretches the entire length of the pool. The actual pool is closed to the public until the summer, but to gaze at the work through the fence is no less impressive. The mural is an amalgamation of Haring’s iconic characters. Instead of the usual dancing men though, he created amphibious creatures. Splotches of blue and orange are placed behind each character in a way that highlights their individual actions.
Moving along, the next stop is The New York Historical Society Museum. The museum has the ceiling mural that was taken from Haring’s pop-up shop. The mural, in the quintessential Keith Haring style with large black and white connecting lines, is conveniently located at the front desk so there’s no need to tour the museum to see it. The intriguing part about this piece is the fact that it was once part of something much larger. Having it put into the museum allows the legacy of Haring’s pop-up shop to live on.
The last stop on our little Keith Haring tour is the Cathedral of St. John The Divine on Amsterdam Ave. The building itself is massive from the outside, and truly makes you feel small in stature. Unlike St. Patrick’s Cathedral that’s always full of tourists, this one only attracts a few at a time so the church is usually mostly empty which adds to the eerie atmosphere. The Life of Christ piece made by Haring in 1990 is tucked into one of the small rooms off to the side of the altar.. It is a triptych altarpiece that shimmers in gold and depicts heavenly and earthly figures crowding around an infant in Haring-style figures. Unfortunately, he passed away only weeks after its completion. From the image, it’s almost seems as if Haring knew his time on this Earth would soon be over and wanted to make peace with God in some way.