Keith Haring was a popular artist and AIDS activist who was part of the legendary New York street art scene of the 1980s. He is known for his colourful works that responded to contemporary social and political issues. This included the battle to end Apartheid, the AIDS epidemic and drug abuse. Haring was openly gay artist and chose to have his work represent the hardships of the LGBTQ community in his work. He began drawing in New York’s subway stations and filled empty poster spaces with chalk drawings in order to make art more accessible. Although his artworks were always colourful and animated, Haring tackled some hard-hitting and challenging subjects concerning people, not just in America but around the world. Haring used slogans to catch the eye of the viewer and effectively convey his message.
This specific painting is called “IGNORANCE=FEAR, SILENCE=DEATH.” I believe Haring took the phrase “Silence is Golden” and flipped it on its head as inspiration when he was creating this piece. By looking at the bottom of this picture, you can see it says: “Silence=Death,” Haring makes it very clear that he does not believe silence is golden but can be used as a weapon that signifies oppressive behaviors. There are three human figures and each figure represents silence or a certain behavior that can be seen as ignorant. The left yellow figure is covering its eyes, the middle one is covering its ears, and the right one is covering its mouth. These three figures represent the way humans cover their eyes, ears, and mouth and don’t seem to accept the problems that are plaguing society at the moment, specifically AIDS. One can pretend something does not exist because we, as humans, can choose to believe what we want to believe and it’s easy to not accept the truth and refuse getting involved to learn more about it and try to help bring awareness to the disease. Haring calls out all walks of life through this piece of art. A large percentage of the population were, and still are, living under these unfair and difficult circumstances in addition to stereotypes and stigmas being attached to them for being queer.
Haring using his platform to raise awareness of the disease that he was diagnosed with in 1988. Another one of his most famous examples is the Crack is Wack mural that refers to the crack cocaine epidemic and its effects in New York City. The work was made large enough so that passing cars on the nearby roads would be able to see it. Haring’s work protested the government’s silence and inaction on important issues and shed light on how activism comes in many forms. His determination to make his work accessible is a prime example of how important it is to be aware of what’s going on in the world and to always be aware of your surroundings. Haring had a strong passion for art and activism as he was not afraid to share either one with the world and by possessing these qualities, it led to his work becoming more profound and had more impact on the world.
