New art mural inspired by Keith Haring

A mural inspired by the street artist Keith Haring has been painted in the Art Department as part of LGBTQ+ History Month.

Pupils were invited to submit their creative ideas as part of a competition to select the final design that would be the centrepiece of an LGBTQ+ exhibition. The designs had to have some of Haring's key features, such as the strong bold flat colours and the simplistic outlines of people and objects.

A flurry of fantastic artwork was submitted and, in the end, elements from several pupils' creations were combined to create the final piece. Well done to Sofia K, Gabby C, Freya L, Alia G, Lille U, Maria L and Leni E.

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Key facts about Keith Haring

• Keith Haring was an American pop artist who advocated for safe sex and AIDS awareness through his images.
• Haring drew from a young age, learning basic cartooning skills from his father, and was influenced by cartoons such as those by Walt Disney, Dr Seuss and Looney Tunes.
• He started using advertising panels covered in black paper in subway museums as a way of sharing his art with a larger audience. Using white chalk, he created public drawings which New York commuters became familiar with. Haring produced hundreds of these public drawings in rapid rhythmic lines, sometimes creating as many as forty "subway drawings" in one day.
• Throughout his career, Haring devoted much of his time to public works, which often carried social messages. He produced more than 50 public artworks between 1982 and 1989, in dozens of cities around the world, many of which were created for charities, hospitals, children's day care centres and orphanages.
• The now famous Crack is Wack mural of 1986 has become a landmark along New York's FDR Drive. Other projects include; a mural created for the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty in 1986, on which Haring worked with 900 children.
• Haring opened the Pop Up shop in 1986 which sold multiple items with his images such as t-shirts and toys. More people were able to access his work at a low cost and was an extension of his work.
• Haring was diagnosed with AIDS in 1988. A year later, he established the Keith Haring Foundation to provide funding to AIDS organisations. He also raised awareness about AIDS through his art. He died on 16th February 1990 of AIDS related complications.
• Haring's signature style is still seen in fashion. His estate has collaborated with Adidas, Lacoste and UNIQLO, Supreme, Reebok, and Coach.