“My contribution to the world is my ability to draw. I will draw as much as I can for as many people as I can for as long as I can. Drawing is still basically the same as it has been since prehistoric times. It brings together man and the world. It lives through magic.”
—Keith Haring
Merging the styles of graffiti with traditional art practices, Keith Haring‘s work seeks to explore all the complexities of the human experience. Through his acclaimed style of simplifying the human form, as well as using repetitive motifs, he creates a visual language that is both universal and relatable. With some of his subject matter depicting dancing figures and fantastical creatures, Haring provides the viewer with a form of escapism from reality.
The present example is no exception as it shows a curious metamorphosis between man and duck - a reference perhaps to Haring’s childhood fascination with animated figures like Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck.The composition depicts the transformed figure surrounded by a group of Haring’s iconic faceless characters, their emotions and movements conveyed only through lines and gestures. The metamorphosised man holds a stick, a motif often seen in Haring’s work as a symbol of violence or magic, as it could be used as a weapon or as a source of power that activates the figures surrounding it.
Untitled (1983) remains a testament to Haring's unique artistic practice and ability to create a universal visual language. His work aims to unify viewers as they contemplate the similarities between their shared human experience.