Review of The Universe of Keith Haring (2008) by Suvi L — 22 Feb 2009
Appropriately, appealingly poppy account of where the boyish, Pennsylvanian-born artist's trademark jittering, New Wave jelly babies came from... Clausen sets it to a fine soundtrack of 80s electro and hip hop: the video to a Haring-backed project entitled "Crack is Wack" now looks as dated as the Grange Hill Cast's "Just Say No", but you also get a young Madonna singing "Dress You Up" in a Haring-designed jacket, and Grace Jones naked save for some (no doubt very carefully applied) Haring bodypaint.
The real pleasure here lies in rediscovering an artist who - despite his early death, and a compulsion to cover every available space in neurotic doodles - was in himself fundamentally well-adjusted; the prize contributions come from Haring's mum, dad and sisters, unimpressed by Andy Warhol, and left charmingly bewildered by Manhattan gallery openings: "Oh, you must be Keith's family - you're the only people here not dressed in black with pink hair.
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This review of The Universe of Keith Haring (2008) was written by Suvi L on 22 Feb 2009.
The Universe of Keith Haring has generally received positive reviews.
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