Keith Haring 1978-1982 is a large-scale, salon style exhibition of the New York-based artist, which just opened up at the Brooklyn Museum last week (running through July 8th). When we dropped by, Raphaela Platow, the show's curator told us she didn't want to do "just another Keith Haring show," and was very concerned with keeping the energy in the exhibit—she didn't want his work to fall flat in a conservative setup, so she opted for the salon style, which mimics the way Haring had his studio in PS 122 set up.
Platow also wanted a unique focus, and eventually decided on the first four years of his career (like when he sketched the Twin Towers as two erect penises), because those were the pivotal years of development for Haring. Little known fact: Haring actually preferred to work in the medium of video. At the show you'll also find never before seen videos of Haring painting himself into a corner, and making his friends pronounce things like "th" and "nn."
While checking the show out, Steve Kaplan was also in attendance, and he told us back in the 1980s an artist named Richard Hambelton would buy gallery grade black paper and put it up in subways (where you find ads these days). When he would return days later, he would find his own, one-of-a-kind Keith Haring art pieces.
When asked what she thought Haring would say about the show, Platow said that he was such a generous person that she is sure he would have said "it's great, good job."
