Keith Haring

For this assignment, we were to learn about Keith Haring who made his name huge back in the 1970's - 1990's with his provocative yet powerful paintings and drawings which began in the subways of NYC. Once I began searching his art works online, I began to grasp the concept of his work. How you want a person to see your art and really think about what you are trying to get across. 

I wanted to choose a topic for my drawing that was personal for me. We were supposed to choose a controversial issue and without the use of words, express our stand on this issue. With the use of images and color, I believe I was able to do just that. Let us begin with the colors I used :

Red (love, anger) Green ( earth ) Grey ( dirty, void ) Gold ( power, wealth, priority ).

So, let's break it down. The red man, full of anger and love has a heart full of earth and peace. Yet he stays, sweating, on his hands and knees, bearing the weight of the world, literally as those void of feeling for the earth make it harder for him to support it. But why is the earth so heavy for him to hold? Because the Grey man, who is perched up on his golden stool, throws his trash upon the earth, with no hesitation. No thought about what it may do to the earth. 

To me, as I began to design my ideas onto paper, I began thinking about those people who throw trash, bottles, cans, bags, and god only knows what onto the earth. To me, such behavior seems that one would believe they are better than the earth, or they are above caring for the earth. 

This is very sad to me. Even though I am not the best "recycler", I have never been able to allow myself to throw anything on the ground unless it was for sure biodegradable! I find myself picking up after others, and when loved ones decide they are too lazy to walk to a trash can I will take it with me myself. 

I end with this:

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.

-- Native American Proverb