KEITH HARING, RADIANT BABY (WHITE), WHITE ICONS SERIES, SIGNED SCREEN PRINT, EDITION 60, 1990
Keith Haring’s Radiant Baby is one of the artist’s most recognisable motifs from his White Icons series (1990). It shows an image of a cartoon child, crawling on its hands and knees rendered in bold lines with radiating lines pulsating from its body. The symbol first emerged in Haring’s work during his days as a subway artist in New York, where he used the Radiant Baby in place of his signature, known as his ‘tag’, on public art projects.
Corresponding exactly with Haring’s brightly coloured Radiant Baby Icon from his Icons series, this print is formed from bold embossed contours with thick, rounded lines radiating from the figure to provide a sense of excitement and movement. Haring strips back the original image into a more subtle, simplified motif by rendering the icon colourless, now presenting the radiant baby all in white
Radiant Baby is a noteworthy example of how Haring created optimistic icons for his generation, to be displayed in public spaces during a time of technological acceleration, rampant capitalism and political turmoil. Haring described the radiant baby motif as “the purest and most positive experience of human existence” and used the figure as a symbol of hope for the future.
Read more about White 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.
