ent A Monum
egan Zine by M
Ayers
Biography Keith Haring was an American artist in NYC in the 1980s. His works were in forms of graffiti, pop art, and street art in subway stations and various other public locations for all to see. They often took the style of simple 2D outlines of people and/or animals. As simple as his works seem, the meanings behind them were nothing short of impactful. His pieces started out smaller as chalk drawings underground in subway stations until they got more recognition and people started commissioning him to make full public murals. Most of his works were created to send a message to society or portray an event going on at that time. In his later years, he often portrayed the AIDS Crisis, advocacy for it, and the realities people were facing. Some pieces were more simple and universally themed while others were direct commentaries on the politics surrounding the world. Haring himself struggled with, and lost the battle to, HIV that later lead to AIDS. He tried his best to constantly advocate for safe sex and to promote the importance of the AIDS Crisis not being swept under the rug or forgotten.
Social Impact He not only impacted the New York City scene. Soon after his start in NYC, much of the world was affected by his art’s messages and the ways they commented on the situations at hand. In 1989, he started the “Keith Haring Foundation” to give funding and help to AIDS organizations and children’s programs to better educate and assist.
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“Art is for
EVERYBODY.”
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Why This Monument He deserves a monument because his art should not go unappreciated and many of the messages he conveyed in his works are still relevant today. Throughout his career, many of his pieces in subway stations were taken down. Some people ignored or brushed off the messages he conveyed as they found it irrelevant or unimportant. Some think that the problems he covered are done but we still have a long way to go. The messages he told through his art should not fade away, but should be embraced even more. By having a monument for him, his works will live on in a big and concrete way.
This piece, titled “Untitled (1988)�, is one of his most famous pieces. This piece could have a few interpretations, as the figures are conveyed genderless, but it gives an overall theme of love and unity.
Art and Design Building, GMU
Dupont Circle Metro Station, DC
The Goal This monument would serve as a beautiful reminder of Keith Haring’s messages. It would also be a reminder of how much art makes the world a more beautiful place. This piece is relevant in many ways to what the world needs right now and the constant message of how important it is to love one another and come together. Both the George Mason Fairfax campus and DuPont Circle in Washington, DC are places that embrace art and diversity so it is only fitting that they be the home to these pieces. It will serve as a reminder that when we do come together: we are strong.