KEITH HARING, PYRAMID (BLUE), PYRAMID SERIES, SIGNED SCREEN PRINT ON ANODIZED ALUMINUM, EDITION OF 30, 1989
Published as part of a set of three screen prints on anodized aluminum, Keith Haring’s Pyramid was completed in 1989, the year before his tragic death by AIDS. This print features a multitude of Haring’s most iconic symbols rendered in heavy bright yellow lines and set against a flattened teal backdrop.
Assembled within a large pyramid, Haring’s energetic figures dance around the canvas in a celebration of life and emanate a sense of positivity amidst an extremely difficult time in the artist’s life. Haring used his art as a way to promote positivity across the world and stated ‘It should be something that liberates the soul, provokes the imagination and encourages people to go further. It celebrates humanity instead of manipulating it.’
Throughout Haring’s work, the pyramid was a common symbol used to refer both to the otherworldliness of antiquity and as an emblem of eternity. Pyramid also nods to the way in which Haring was inspired by Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics throughout his career. The complex arrangement of many simplified figures and forms reflects Haring’s interest in how signs are used in many different cultures to concisely communicate multifaceted ideas.
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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.
