The artistic career of Keith Haring began in the 1980s in New York with subway drawings and later the Pop Shop, where he was selling various cheap objects, such as posters, T-shirts, toys, and magnets with his prints. The main point of his art was universality and accessibility to everyone, which challenged the then-dominating view on art as something reserved for museums and snobbish art connoisseurs. As such, Haring set contemporary art trends for decades to come, creating iconic pieces of art that were essentially vernacular and youth-oriented. As his art continues to be admired today, many years after his death, some critics are concerned that the mass commercialization process has gone too far for Haring’s legacy.

Accessibility and Commercialization of Art by Keith Haring

The Keith Haring Foundation, which has been responsible for the artist’s imagery since the 1990s, is criticized for compromising Haring’s legacy. The foundation signed contracts with numerous mainstream brands, such as H&M, Uniqlo, Bershka, Primark, and Abercrombie & Fitch, which allowed companies to use the artist’s imagery, including dogs, babies, figures, and hearts. These instantly recognizable motifs have become ubiquitous to the point that some skeptics believe Haring’s legacy is no longer recognized and admired as something more profound. However, a closer look at the artist’s beliefs and values suggests that this could have been the main point of his art.

Haring’s Relationship with Brands and Commercial Art

The main idea behind Keith Haring’s Pop Shop was to demonstrate that art could be accessible to everyone and not reduced to expensive, rare objects that only the richest people could admire. In many ways, this belief in the power of merchandise for the masses finds reflection in the current policy of the Keith Haring Foundation.

One also must not forget the fact that Haring collaborated with popular brands himself. His contracts with Swatch, Absolut, and Fiorucci helped amplify his artistic message, proving that the best of modern and contemporary art does not necessarily exist only in museums.

At the same time, fears voiced by the critics of the continuing commercialization of Keith Haring’s art are not entirely unfounded. Popularization of his imagery often ignores his sexual experiences and HIV/AIDS struggle, which means that the important context for his art may be overlooked. Another issue that must be considered is the environmental impact of partnering with mass-market brands.

Considering all of the above, balancing the idea of art accessibility against overconsumption and pollution is something the Keith Haring Foundation will need to figure out to make the artist’s legacy more sustainable.