May 4 is the birthday of the late artist Keith Haring, who died in 1990 at the age of 31 of AIDS-related complications. Google is celebrating the artist’s memory with a Doodle drawn in Haring’s distinctive style. Part of what made New York City such an exciting place to live in the 1980s for young art students like me was the chance encounters with graffiti by Haring, who plastered over subway posters with his own white-on-black “radiant babies” and other cartoon-like drawings. Haring went on to exhibit his paintings in museums, and his designs still live on in clothing and housewares.
Haring’s drawings were simple, but they often carried deeper meanings. Yet they could be understood and enjoyed by kids as well. One of the first words my older son ever read was “Exit” — thanks to a Sesame Street clip featuring animated drawings by Haring. The Keith Haring website includes a family-friendly portion with coloring games and educational content for kids.
According to Wikipedia, the artist established the Keith Haring Foundation in 1989 to raise funds for AIDS organizations. The store he founded, the Pop Shop, is now online (and is offering a 10 percent discount today if you use the code HAPPYBIRTHDAY).
If you’re not familiar with Haring’s work, it’s worth the time to take a look around.
