The Thousands

Whenever I think of the late Keith Haring I immediately think of the word ‘riddim’. This jaunty Jamaican slang best describes the frenetic energy that Haring employed in his prolific output of paintings, drawings and murals.

This simply-titled book written by Jeffery Deitch chronicles everything that Mr Haring laid a finger on. From his arrival in New York in the late 70s and his subsequent involvement in the new wave, disco and hip-hop scenes, to his meteoric rise within the New York and global art worlds, few stones are left unturned in what is a very mossy and deep creek of a career.

Each chapter in the book begins with a personal monograph from Haring that introduces the reader’s wandering eye to a plethora of photos, scanned articles and letters. Like plasticine the book moulds a thorough documentation of Haring’s style – it’s interesting to see how quickly he departed from his conceptual art-school concerns (thanks Barthes!) to primal, beautifully simplified, line-based figures.

As a departing note, one of my favourite images by Haring also graces the cover of the book. His signature gaggle eyed, inanely grinning ‘Three eyed face’ is the epitome of fresh. It is a painting that I’m sure will be reflected on many a Haring fan’s face as they flick through this book with glee.