Andy Warhol may have been the leading figure to the pop art movement, but visual artist Keith Haring truly represented New York City with his creative abilities. The late 70’s and entire 80’s of New York City can be quite the trip to imagine. It was during a time when hip hop in the Bronx came into existence, a punk scene was discovered in the streets of Manhattan, and street art was breaking free. There is no doubt that the city was once filled with so much character and personality, not nearly as gentrified as it is today. It was a new generation, filled with colors of hopes and dreams. There was a crowd of happiness in disco dance floors, during a time of empty struggling streets. Nonetheless, New York City was a very gritty and incredibly dark place. At Time square you could easily run into sex shops and peep shows, and it was normal to have prostitutes roaming the area. Meanwhile, the highly addictive and inexpensive drug, crack, was literally overflowing in the city, leading to a rise of violence and deaths. Homelessness, crime rates, and a drug epidemic were some of the major issues of this era. With all of that going on, Graffiti was also everywhere, and this inspired Keith Haring to become the amazing artist that he became.

Haring was an openly gay artist who truly showcased the times of New York through his work. Haring was socially aware and served as an activist; he cared about life in his city. His art spoke to a large audience, people quickly began noticing him, as he would “illegally” draw with chalk on the subway stations. Haring would draw vibrant dancing figures everywhere, something the city would often see with break dancing. Haring would throw Mickey Mouse into his work and dollar signs, so children and adults were able to make connections with such playful art that was being seen in the streets.

Haring’s pieces touched on a lot of political and global issues, such as the reflections of media, development of technology, the fight to free South Africa, the creation of his Crack is Wack mural, the Berlin Wall human rights painting, Anti-nuclear rallies, and the Silence=Death slogan. Haring was excellent at raising awareness and he was also aware of his white privilege. The killing of Michael Stewart, a person of color who was a spray painting artist was beaten and killed by cops, angered Haring because he got arrested four times for his “illegal” street art, but he was never treated the way Stewart was treated.

Haring was a true symbol of strength and giving back to others, even when things were getting difficult for him. Haring intertwined  arts and politics so cleverly, he lived through the tough times but fought through adversity with his art. The city is filled with energy and diversity, and freedom of expression will always be important. Keith Haring is an important figure to New York City. His life and work have been a true inspiration, especially in these unfortunate political times we’re living in today.

*The opinions and ideas expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the opinions of The Bronx Brand*

Leslie Garcia has been living in the Bronx since she was 11 years old.  She loves the rich history of the Bronx, and how the Bronx has given her strength and hope.  She loves the shopping areas, the food, and the activities for families (which is what she plans on showcasing to the world).  She loves the culture and beauty of the Bronx and can’t imagine living anywhere else. Follow her here:

Instagram.com/Frostbittenkitten

Twitter.com/Lesahhlee

Facebook.com/Gigglyduff