Keith Haring (1958–1990) is one of the most celebrated and widely recognized (graffiti) artists of all time. His iconic imagery emerged on the subway walls of New York City in the early 1980s, breaking the barrier between high art and street art almost overnight. Haring’s art was accessible to the masses, both physically and visually, without pretence and full of optimism.
Haring was not only interested in tagging or image making in public spaces. As he established himself in the art world, an element of advocacy in his practice continued to increase, with a particular focus on HIV/AIDS awareness and activism. It is still shocking and heartbreaking that he succumbed to the disease at the age of 32.
This poster was designed by Haring (and some of the leading artists of the era) for Rain Dance, an event that he organized through UNICEF to raise funds for the African Emergency Relief Fund. The design includes contributions by Andy Warhol (the umbrella), Jean-Michel Basquiat (the text element "Too Much Reign"), Yoko Ono (stylized footsteps), and Roy Lichenstein (the rainscape in the center). This poster is truly emblematic of the American art scene in the 1980s.
Centred around the theme of water and rain--an essential resource in combatting drought and famine--each artist contributed their own perspective: Lichtenstein's oblique lines offer a graphic dimension; Warhol's umbrella's are practical; Haring's depiction of the rain dance adds an ethnographic layer; Basquiat's combination of the homophones 'rain' and 'reign' introduces a political edge; and Ono contributes a geographical perspective through footsteps illustrating long walks to reach water sources.
With the collaboration of his contemporaries, Haring has achieved a poster design that is bold, fun, and cosmopolitan, all the while advocating for and using his platform to raise awareness of societal emergencies and issues.
Due to its collaborative nature, this poster is in the permanent collections of several major institutions, including the National Galleries for Scotland and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.
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"Rain Dance Poster"
USA, 1985
Offset lithograph
Signed in the plate by all the artists
Unnumbered edition of 1000
31”H 22"W (sheet)
35.25"H 27"W (framed)
Framed with museum glass
Very good condition
Literature:
- Paul Maréchaul, Andy Warhol : the complete commissioned posters, 1964-1987 : catalogue raisonné (New York: Prestel), p. 116.
- John Gruen, Keith Haring: The Authorized Biography (New York: Prentice Hall Press, 1991), p. 129.
- Mary Lee Corlett. The Prints of Roy Lichtenstein: A Catalogue Raisonné, 1948–1993, 2nd ed. (New York: Hudson Hills Press in association with the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.), 2002. (Corlett 2002). First published in 1994 (Corlett 1994). Introduction by Ruth E. Fine (Fine 1994a). (This work is listed in Roy Lichenstein: A Catalogue Raisonné, access number RLCR 3444 (Corlett/Fine 2002, III.33; RL 3822).
- Döring, Jürgen, and Claus von der Osten. Roy Lichtenstein: Posters. Translated by Jane Michael. (Munich: Prestel) Verlag, 2008. Exhibition catalogue. Abridged and revised French edition: Éditions Prisma, 2013. Reprinted in 2019. (2008 Hamburg MKG).
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