Untitled, from Three Lithographs 1985

Keith Haring made this lithograph with the simplest of means: black lines on white ground, plus a red border, and it feels so optimistic and full of life. I imagine Haring thinking about how to convey energy, thinking about those simple figures stacked on top of one another, each one supporting the next. They remind me of Matisse’s dancers, but with a super-charged, street-smart quality. Each figure is outlined in bold black, almost cartoonish, yet they convey such movement, as if they’re caught in a perpetual dance. The little radiating lines around some of the figures remind me of the way we use emojis today; to add an extra layer of expression to the image. I think Haring was always in conversation with the world around him, taking what he saw and felt and turning it into something new and vibrant. That border emphasizes the pop and graphic nature of the work, enclosing and activating the figures’ boundless energy.