KEITH HARING, CHOCOLATE BUDDHA 2, CHOCOLATE BUDDHA SERIES, SIGNED LITHOGRAPH, EDITION OF 90, 1989
The print Chocolate Buddha 2, from Keith Haring’s Chocolate Buddha series (1989) shows an image of four figures, with their limbs intertwined to create a symmetrical pattern reminiscent of Aztec or Aboriginal art. Haring uses two tones of red in this print, the darker to outline the figures and the lighter to create stripes across the entire picture plane, emphasising the sense of pattern in the print.
The print has a compulsive quality that fills out across the canvas that contrasts to Haring’s typical use of simplified form and block colour. There is a flow to his use of line that works alongside the symmetrical composition whereby the eye follows the electric lines in harmony with the image. Haring’s use of thin, striped lines across the image creates a jarring effect against the thick, bold outlines of the figures, injecting the static image with a sense of movement.
Explaining why many of his works resemble Aztec or Aboriginal art, Haring has said ‘My drawings don’t try to imitate life; they try to create life, to invent life,’ something that he believed aligned with so-called primitive ideas. Chocolate Buddha 2 is exemplary of this notion by forming a rhythmic, all-over composition that focuses on symmetry rather than realism. Thus, Haring produces a kinetic image that excites the viewer and transcends reality.
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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.
