KEITH HARING, THE VALLEY PAGE 12, THE VALLEY SERIES, SIGNED ETCHING, EDITION OF 80, 1989
Taken from Keith Haring’s The Valley series from 1989, The Valley Page 12 is an etching that shows an image of three helicopters flying over a valley to rescue a group of people in the foreground. This print is markedly different from much of Haring’s earlier work, rendered in fine black lines in a frenzied composition that is highly unusual.
The Valley Page 12 is accompanied by an ominous text by the beat poet and novelist William S. Burroughs, describing the rescue mission portrayed in the image. Copied by hand on sixteen sheets of tracing paper, the text is photo-etched onto copper plates and printed in red ink. The text which is also titled, ‘The Valley,’ is a chapter from the author’s novel, The Western Lands from 1987.
The use of closely rendered, thin lines is unusual within Haring’s oeuvre and creates a dense pattern across the lower half of the print. The group of figures in the foreground are shown with eyes like saucers and their arms are flapping in the air, working to increase the tension of the image. This particular series is representative of a stylistic shift exemplified in his Cranbrook Mural (1987) that introduced intentional blotches, drips and themes around death and the end of times.
Read more about The Valley 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.
