Keith Haring

Kenny Scharf, New York
Martin Lawrence Galleries, Universal City, California
Acquired by the present owner from the above in 2001

Marco Livingston, Pop Art: A Continuing History, New York, 2000, fig. 335, p. 229, illustrated in color
Alexandra Kolossa, Keith Haring 1958-1990: A Life for Art, Los Angeles, 2004, p. 37, illustrated in color  

This work is in very good condition. There is light soiling to the corners. A diagnonal scuff mark extends 3 1/2 in. from the center of the left edge. A 1 in. black scuff mark is located 16 in. from the right and 36 in. from the bottom. An unobtrusive liquid accretion runs vertically the length of the canvas 2 in. from the right edge. There is no evidence of restoration under UV light.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

1983 and 1984 were pivotal years in the rapidly rising career of Keith Haring.  After his successful debut at the Tony Shafrazi gallery in 1982, a popular animation which appeared on the Times Square Spectacolor Billboard and a well-received exhibition at Documenta in Kassel, Haring was being courted by institutions and collectors all over the world to produce works in his instantly recognizable artistic language. Indeed, by the winter of 1984, Haring could claim Rotterdam, London, Tokyo, Naples, Basel, Milan and Cologne as destinations for solo exhibitions of his work as well as appearences in the biennials of New York's Whitney Museum of American Art, São Paolo and Venice. 

Newly hailed a rising-star, Haring began to be introduced to the movers and shakers of the art scene.  His unique artistic style, at once accessible and provocative, proved a perfect cocktail for celebrity in the decadent fabulousness of the 1980's. Soon, artists from other fields such as modern dance and music were lining up to collaborate on projects such as the production of The Marriage of Heaven and Hell with the Ballet National de Marseille, and the memorable body-painting of the dancer Grace Jones. 

It was at this time, specifically Haring's solo exhibition at the Fun Gallery in 1983, that the young artist met Andy Warhol. From this point on, "a friendship developed between the two artists, characterized by mutual respect and an exchange of ideas about art." (Alexandra Kolossa, Keith Haring 1958-1990: A Life For Art, p. 93) Among other topics, these exchanges would consist of what the artists were working on at the time which, for Andy, included his Endangered Species series. Along with the iconic Myths from a few years prior, these series would have a profound effect on the direction of Haring's art. However, unlike Warhol, who would elevate familiar societal images onto the plane of fine art (leaving the viewer to reflect and draw their own conclusions), Haring took such images and translated them into a personal definition of expression.

In Big Bad Wolf, a painting the artist originally gave to his close friend, the artist Kenny Scharf, Haring has drawn from another cache of collective Myths: characters from fables and fairy tales.  Along with the present work, Haring also painted subjects such as Pinocchio and Cruella De Vil.  Translated via Haring, these fantastical figures became more than just archetypes or metaphors for good and evil, they become reflections of the dichotomies in contemporary society. As Alexandra Kolossa has noted, "Haring intentionally has recourse to known precursors from the world of fairy-tales and animated cartoons, but to call him a children's artist on this account would be wrong. The parallels with Walt Disney's figures are undeniable, but their reading is geared to an alienated form that cannot always be called child-friendly by any means. Haring exploits this instant recognizability in order to confuse the viewer... the expression on the face of the wolf [the present work] comes across at first sight as friendly, an impression conveyed by the big rolling eyes. However, the animal's benevolent gaze distracts from its threatening jaws and teeth.  In combination with the lascivious red tongue, the primary pictorial statement is now transformed into its opposite." (ibid, p. 37) As such, the present work perfectly encapsulates the work of Keith Haring presenting a very mature subject, via an ostensibly innocent style, in a loud and fabulous language.