TheWaterRat

Birth, death, love, sex and war. These are the main themes in Keith Haring’s work.

I have been a big fan of Keith Haring for many years, since I discovered him. I like the more colorful and stronger drawings. But each one of his pieces is incredibly powerful. Haring was able to condense into a very simple sketch a thousand words, an entire dissertation about an aspect of life.

His art is dramatic, exciting, sad, violent and disturbing. It punches you in the stomach all the time. You cannot escape its intensiy. All his characters have been captured a fraction of a second before doing something that is going to have devastating implications for the lives of millions. They are participating to life, making and transforming the world as we know it. Breaking down all barriers, freeing us from conventions and ignorance. Embarrassing us, naked, in front of others and ourselves.

Be alive, sin, understand and be reborn, that is his message to me.

Useful links
Find out more about Keith Haring here

If you have spent a bit of time in London you’ll be familiar with Banksy’s graffiti and if you have been to the East End you’ll recognise the car in the picture, in the Truman Brewery complex.

This is one of my favourite pieces from Banksy, one of the most controversial, talented, vandalic, inspiring artists of recent times. Mind, I am not an art expert but the impact of Banksy’s street art and pranks has been felt worldwide.

In my view, he has changed art, or at least the perception of art.

Sometime last year:
    “Online bidding for a wall painted on by graffiti artist Banksy has closed with a final bid of £208,100. 
The final bid does not include the cost of removal and repair of the wall, estimated to be about £5,000. “
“This sale poses many interesting questions for the art world. How do you move a piece of work like this, how do you display it and how do you insure it?”

Many people think Banksy is a vandal. Many others think he recently sold out his soul and his art culminating in the publication of his ‘Wall and Piece’ book.

Love him or hate him, you should buy the book and hunt for his art in the streets of Hackney, his main playground. You’ll certainly come across many artworks, big and small. Some you may not recognize immediately, some you will miss altogether, a few will blow your mind.

Useful links
Find out more about Banksy
You can buy Wall and Piece here