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Flowers IV, a screenprint created by the American artist Keith Haring in 1990, the year of his death. This piece is part of a portfolio of five prints that were among Haring's final works.
Key Information
Artist: Keith Haring (1958–1990)
Title: Flowers IV (from the Flowers Portfolio)
Year: 1990
Medium: Screenprint in colors on Coventry Paper
Style: Pop-graffiti aesthetic with bold black outlines, vibrant colors (orange, pink, yellow, green, and blue), and dynamic patterns, which are characteristic of Haring's style.
Meaning: The series carries a sense of urgency and reflects Haring's awareness of his own mortality after being diagnosed with AIDS. The flower forms are often interpreted as phallic, alluding to the fragility of life for the gay community during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The inclusion of drip lines and expressive marks adds a raw quality, contrasting the luminous colors with a dark subtext of struggle and impermanence.
Print was delivered inside an old plexiglass box frame. Fine art Serigraph 39.25 x 51 inches with 7 colors. hand numbered 97/100 with pencil signature "K.Haring 90 (and a hand drawn circle with a cross inside)". The paper has a small circular embossment at bottom right that reads "SE" there is no watermark in the paper. The print has significant planar distortion caused by restricted expansion and from the moisture caused by the addition of the water-based hinges. There is some very light scuffing visible in the black ink primarily at the bottom (only viewable at extremely close distance and in strong light) |
| Frame was opened and hinges on verso were cut to free the print from the backing. 18 waterbased self adhesive linen hinges on verso. Print was examined on a light table, under strong light and under magnification. The results have been documented herein. |
| Recommend hinge removal and flattening by humidification and pressing between blotters. |
