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Lot 203
Keith Haring (1958-1990)
Untitled
Closed1 July 2009
Price Realised
GBP 181,250
More Information
Specialist note
'It's treating Warhol like he was part of American culture, like Mickey Mouse was.'
(Daniel Drenger, Art and Life: An Interview with Keith Haring, New York, 1988).
Painted in a rare round canvas format, Andy Mouse is a magical hybrid of one of the most recognised cartoon characters in the world and the man commonly identified as the most influential figure in Pop Art. The work pays tribute to Andy Warhol, Haring's close friend, hero and mentor, whom he met following his second solo exhibition in New York. It also reflects Harings fascination with Disney animation and its exuberant visual vocabulary which allows realism and fantasy to meet within the boundaries of a single high-impact image. This particular work is a dynamic caricature boasting bold graphic lines against a metallic silver background, at once simulating the faux-naif appeal of mass media culture while also referencing the edgy synth-pop underground scene of which both Warhol and Haring were members. In a single postmodern gesture, Haring brilliantly redefines the way we view the truly iconic, elevating the concept of the trendy, made-in-the-moment street logo into the realm of historic and enduring fine art.
(Daniel Drenger, Art and Life: An Interview with Keith Haring, New York, 1988).
Painted in a rare round canvas format, Andy Mouse is a magical hybrid of one of the most recognised cartoon characters in the world and the man commonly identified as the most influential figure in Pop Art. The work pays tribute to Andy Warhol, Haring's close friend, hero and mentor, whom he met following his second solo exhibition in New York. It also reflects Harings fascination with Disney animation and its exuberant visual vocabulary which allows realism and fantasy to meet within the boundaries of a single high-impact image. This particular work is a dynamic caricature boasting bold graphic lines against a metallic silver background, at once simulating the faux-naif appeal of mass media culture while also referencing the edgy synth-pop underground scene of which both Warhol and Haring were members. In a single postmodern gesture, Haring brilliantly redefines the way we view the truly iconic, elevating the concept of the trendy, made-in-the-moment street logo into the realm of historic and enduring fine art.