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One sheet vintage exhibition poster titled
"Into 84," designed by American Pop and street artist Keith Haring. Created in 1983, it promoted Haring's solo exhibition at the Tony Shafrazi Gallery in New York City, which ran from December 3, 1983, to January 7, 1984.
Key Artistic Details
The Subject: The central figure is the renowned dancer and choreographer Bill T. Jones.
The Collaboration: The poster is based on a photograph taken by Tseng Kwong Chi in 1983. For this series, Haring used Jones' body as a "living canvas," painting him from head to toe in his signature graphic style.
Visual Style: The poster features a red and black rendering of Jones shown from behind, dancing against a dense background of black and white interlocking calligraphic and "Aztec-inspired" lines.
Iconography: Small trademark Haring motifs are hidden within the patterns, including dog heads on the figure's thighs and his famous "Radiant Baby" in the lower right corner.
Significance and Context
The exhibition served as a social commentary on contemporary 1980s issues, including technology, nuclear threats, and the emerging AIDS epidemic. The collaboration between Haring, Jones, and Tseng is celebrated as a powerful intersection of performance art, photography, and graffiti. Sadly, Jones is the only member of the trio who survived the AIDS crisis; both Haring and Tseng died of complications from the disease in 1990. |
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