“It’sallhere:thegradeschoolWaltDisneyandDr.Seuss;theadolescentacidtrips;thefondnessforPost-itnotesandflyingsaucers;thelongtailsofDubuffetandBurroughs;theencounterswithMadonna,Warhol,andonegame-changerofasubwayJohnnyWalkerRedposter.BradGoochtakesusdeepintoKeithHaring’simaginationwhilesomehowmanagingtofixtheauraandenergyofthe1980sNewYorkartscenetothepage.Akeen-eyed,beautifullywrittenbiography,atmospheric,exuberant,andasradiantastheycome.“--StacySchiff,PulitzerPrizewinningauthorofTheRevolutionary:SamAdamsAstunninglifeoftheiconicAmericanartist,KeithHaring,bytheacclaimedbiographerBradGooch.Inthe1980s,thesubwaysofNewYorkCitywerecoveredwithart.Inthestations,blackmattesheetswerepastedoveroutdatedads,andunsignedchalkdrawingsoftenpoppedupontheseblankspaces.Thesetemporarychalkdrawingsnumberedinthethousandsandbecamesynonymouswithacityasdiverseasitwasatwarwithitself,besetwithpovertyandcrimebutalivewithartandcreativeenergy.AndeverysingleoneofthesedrawingswasdonebyKeithHaring.KeithHaringwasoneofthemostemblematicartistsofthe1980s,afiguredescribedbyhiscontemporariesas“aprophetinhislife,hisperson,andhiswork.“PartofaniconicculturalcrowdthatincludedAndyWarhol,Madonna,andBasquiat,Haringbrokedownthebarriersbetweenhighartandpopularculture,creatingworkthatwasaccessibleforallandusingitasameanstoprovokeandinspireradicalsocialchange.HaringdiedofAIDSin1990.Tothisday,hisinfluenceonourcultureremainsincontrovertible,andhisglamorous,tragicallyshortlifehasauniqueauraofmysteryandpower.BradGooch,notedbiographerofFlanneryO’ConnorandFrankO’Hara,wasgrantedaccesstoHaring’sextensivearchive.Hehaswrittenabiographythatwillbecometheauthoritativeworkontheartist.BasedoninterviewswiththosewhoknewHaringbestanddrawingfromthericharchivalhistory,BradGoochsetsouttocapturethemagicofKeithHaring:avisionaryandtimelessicon.
