omdo STUDIOS |muses| - Keith Harring

Keith Haring is next up on our muses that have shaped omdo STUDIOS in some way through their work and life.⁠⁠
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During his brief but meteoric career, Haring invented a cartoonish universe inhabited by crawling children, barking dogs and dancing figures, all set in motion by staccato like lines. This universe was first mapped in the New York City subway system, where the young artist, still a student at the School of Visual Arts, like Basquiat he was inspired by what he considered the beauty and immediacy of graffiti.⁠⁠
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But Haring was a graffiti artist with a difference. Instead of painting subway cars, he drew with white chalk on the black paper pasted on unused advertising spaces, we love the fact that these are temporary pieces of art, not meant to last, almost like a fleeting thought in the hectic bustle of the passing crowds.⁠⁠
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From these beginnings emerged a style of illustration that became known throughout the world and a mode of distribution that largely circumvented the traditional art gallery system. Mr. Haring said he was committed to being accessible. Not only were his images widely considered irresistible and the morality tales they told easy to comprehend, but his work, at least in the beginning, was also easy to own.⁠⁠
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He gained mainstream attention with his graphic artwork and effortless style along with his amazing sense of community, working endlessly with children’s charities and the fight against the aids epidemic. ⁠⁠
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When once questioned about the ''commercialism'' of his work, Haring said: ''I could earn more money if I just painted a few things and jacked up the price. My shop is an extension of what I was doing in the subway stations, breaking down the barriers between high and low art.''⁠⁠
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A true artist of the people.⁠⁠
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What do you think of his work? Let us know in the comments below.⁠⁠