13 October 15, 2021

Marco Salcedo Contemporary Arts

12 - Amare Ms. Sagun
TOA: Response - The 3 Roles of Art

Radiant Baby by Keith Haring Icons series.

https://www.guyhepner.com/product/radiant-baby-by-keith-haring/

Looking at the artwork, I do not see intricate details or complex techniques

applied to the work. This artwork is plain, simple, and relatively easy to interpret.
From what a stranger may see, it is a baby radiating based on its position, similar to
a baby crawling. We can also see that black lines are radiating out from the baby.
Why did I choose this artwork out of all masterpieces the art world has to offer?
Believe it or not, this art is representation and expression! Before I answer, I want to
give a quick background check on the artist, Keith Haring. Keith Haring was an
American artist who grew up in a conservative family, and his pop and vandal graffiti-
like work sprang from the 1980s New York City street culture. Haring's famous child-
like visual language was accessible and an excellent way of transmitting messages
and generating a dialogue with the community. The baby you see here represents
purity, and being a child is the most positive experience of human existence. Based
on Haring's journal “Children are colorblind and still free of all the complications,
greed, and hatred that will slowly be instilled in them through life." Most adults are
always telling children how to think, how to behave, and what to do, but it's worth
questioning whether children's empty vessels are humans born with value or do you
gain value from life. Keith Haring expresses his work of arts as he never grew up into
maturity; as he remains forever young.
 The most striking aspect of his figure's work is how it grew to pop culture and
how instantly recognizable his works represent. These child-like aesthetics often
depicted how life begins and how you continue your path to death. In the beginning, I
saw his art only made for Uniqlo and HM shirts, however when I started learning
about Banksy and other controversial artists and their purposes, Haring had the most
genuine motives through his street art and the importance of our childhood. Haring
taught me to cherish and continue making beautiful memories while I'm still young.

The most valuable takeaway you can gain from here is art doesn't have to be
grand or fancy. You can reject 'elitist art' found in museum systems and embrace the
inner child-like behavior you have in yourself. Be comfortable with your style; be the
shepherd, not the sheep. Art can be controversial and new; sometimes, art critics try
to avoid childish behavior but look at where he is now. Haring remains known for his
contemporary social and political event art. Be what society hates, break norms, be
who you indeed are.

References:

(Keith’s Kids | Keith Haring, 2021) https://www.haring.com/!/selected_writing/keiths-

kids

(Radiant Baby by Keith Haring| Guy Hepner, 2021)

https://www.guyhepner.com/product/radiant-baby-by-keith-haring/