Shocking, radical, and blasphemous are all words that some would use to describe the 1982 lithograph Untitled 6, created by artist, activist, and maverick Keith Haring. Born in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, Haring began his career on the sidewalk with chalk as his tool of choice. Inspired by graffiti as well as contemporary commercial artists like Walt Disney and Andy Warhol, Haring made his mark with playfully iconic characters that he placed in precarious situations pertaining to relevant events of the time.
From his first portfolio of published prints, Untitled 6 is a time capsule that reveals the society that was as the AIDS epidemic was coming to a head. Haring’s proximity to the LGBTQ+ community as an openly gay man inspired him to react with works that incorporated criticisms of the larger sociopolitical response to the crisis and the lack of attention to its impact.
The figure in Untitled 6 is a quintessential example of Haring’s approach to art. Haring saw his craft as an extension of his activism and used it to create community and challenge the paradigm with emotionally charged symbolic works capable of crossing linguistic and cultural boundaries. For Haring, it seems this figure may have paid tribute to the judgment and abandonment faced by his neighbors, his friends, and even himself while HIV crashed like an overwhelming wave. Spots blanket the cross and the dogs that surround the woefully hanging figure, a pattern that Haring often used as a means to address the epidemic. Here, Haring’s inclusion of the cross and dogs together suggest a commentary on the use of religion to other the LGBTQ+ community during the bleak period, indicated by the haunting “X” branding the figure.
A fearless champion of art for change, Haring also explored issues of drug addiction, media influence, government corruption, education and so many others. Known as a powerhouse who never shied away from speaking his mind, the socially conscious and unapologetic spirit that Haring brought to his work made him a revolutionary artist that still inspires people globally.
