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Keith Haring White Icons (Portfolio) (Littman p.172-173)
Meaning & History"Acknowledging the wide-spread popularity of his visual alphabet, Icons lifts Haring's best-known motifs from their busy scenes so we can appreciate them on their own."
A completely white, embossed version of a colour portfolio of five screenprints entitled Icons, White Icons is a departure from Haring's hallmark vivid palette. The medium of raised embossing, without colour, allows us to focus on the strength of the artist's line - his playful icons are now fully three-dimensional.
White Icons was created in the year of Haring's death, right at the very end of his short but prolific career. At this time, his playful lexicon captured the public imagination so much that soon his imagery was appropriated commercially and seen all over the world. Acknowledging this popularity, Icons lifts Haring's best-known motifs from their busy scenes so we can appreciate them on their own. The portfolio is a strong conclusion and survey of his life’s work in its most condensed form.
The ‘Radiant Baby’, seen in plate one, is arguably Haring’s most famous icon, emblematic not only of his own child-like, cartoon style, but the striving for social and political justice in his work. Through the lens of the child, the ultimate symbol of purity and innocence, Haring conveys a message of hope against cynicism. The lines emanating from the baby express this special quality, and the artist stated that the baby represented: ‘the purest and most positive experience of human existence’.
The ‘Barking Dog’, seen in plate two, is an icon that is often presented differently in Haring’s work dependent on its context. Seen here against a blood-red background, it appears ominous and foreboding. In an Untitled portfolio from 1983, a group of dogs crucify and rule over a human figure in a tale of oppression and subjugation. Although visually direct and flat in expression, Haring’s form of the dog expresses violence in the unusually long jaw of the dog which is out of proportion to its body.
The angel and devil figures of plate three and four are spiritual symbols of life and death. As with all the examples in Icons, their cartoonish rendering disguises their use in complex issues tackled by Haring’s work such as Apartheid and AIDs.
Much like Haring's 'Retrospect' screenprints of 1989, 'Icons' is a kind of visual summary and self-reflection for the artist of his own ouevre.
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Buy or sell White Icons (Portfolio) by Keith Haring at Andipa Editions
Buy White Icons (Portfolio) by Keith Haring
Andipa Editions, as part of Andipa, have been at the forefront of the Haring market for over 20 years. To enquire about buying a White Icons print by Keith Haring, contact us via sales@andipa.com or on +44 (0) 20 7589 2371.
Sell White Icons (Portfolio) by Keith Haring
With a global network of active buyers, Andipa Editions are the place to sell your Keith Haring White Icons print. Straight-forward and stress-free, we manage the process on your behalf and help to maximise your return. For a complimentary valuation of your White Icons print, contact us via sales@andipa.com or on +44 (0) 20 7589 2371. Explore our collection of Keith Haring prints for sale.
