KEITH HARING, STONES 5, STONES SERIES, SIGNED LITHOGRAPH, EDITION OF 60, 1989
Stones 5 is a lithograph print from Keith Haring’s Stones series from 1989 that shows an image densely filled with figures dancing and crawling across the frame. This print is a striking example of the Pop artist’s ability to create complex images while maintaining the simplicity of line he is known for.
Produced as lithographs just one year before the artist passed away from AIDS-related complications, the works in this series are reminiscent of Haring’s early subway drawings which earned him both notoriety and acclaim. Stones 5 inverts Haring’s characteristic bold black lines to white to create an elaborate all-over composition that shows the unusually formed figures mingling with one another.
Printed in 1989, the Stones portfolio was made at the very end of Haring’s short life, during a time when he was producing ever more inventive and daring work in large quantities as a result of being tested positive for HIV in 1988. Though Haring spent much of the mid to late ’80s working with silk screens, this move back to lithography shows his complete mastery of print as a medium. Haring produced large editions throughout his career, but each is characterised by the careful precision and vibrancy of the one that comes before it, demonstrating his dedication to the process.
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.
