KEITH HARING, BARKING DOG, ICONS SERIES, SIGNED SCREEN PRINT, EDITION OF 250, 1990
Taken to be one of the artists most widely recognised symbols, Barking Dog s a print from Keith Haring’s Icons series (1990), featuring a simplified image of a dog barking. Rendered in white with thick, squared-off black outlines, the image of the dog is set against a vivid red backdrop and conveys a sense of urgency to the viewer.
As a symbol that frequently occurred throughout Haring’s work, what later became recognised as a dog first began as an unidentifiable creature in his subway drawings from the early 1980s. Often depicted standing on two feet, Haring’s dog symbol is understood to be an imaginary representation of authoritarian government and people who hold power, with the image sometimes looking like a human being with a dog’s head.
Barking Dog is one of Haring’s trademark graphic symbols that bursts with vibrant colour and dynamism to form a positive visual language widely recognised by the public. Haring used this vivid visual language to communicate political and social injustices and turmoil of the time, particularly making clear his disdain with the 1980s US government under President Ronal Reagan. Barking Dog sparks a sense of urgency in its use of bright red and sharp, angular lines and thus cautions the public of oppressive government and those in power.
Read more about Icons by Keith Haring.
ABOUT KEITH HARING
Known for his bold graphic style and playful sense of humour, Keith Haring is one of the most influential and adored artists of the 20th century.
Born in Pennsylvania, in 1958, Haring was a talented draughtsman as a child and developed his cartoonish style at the hands of his father and the work of Walt Disney and Dr Seuss. However it would take some time before he realised he could marry this kind of drawing with being a fine artist. Upon graduating from high school he enrolled in a commercial art school before realising he had little interest in pursuing a career as an illustrator or graphic designer. After dropping out of college he joined the hippie movement and hitchhiked across the country where he made anti-Nixon t-shirts to pay for food and Grateful Dead tickets. Learn more about Keith Haring.
