Keith Haring was one of the most important queer artists of the 1980s. Starting as a subway station graffiti artist, he had a disarmingly simple and playful “pop art” style, and quickly became a darling of the east-coast art scene. This being the 1980s, he became heavily involved in AIDS awareness, including the direct-action group ACT UP (AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power), whose not-at-all hyperbolic slogan was “Silence = Death”. Haring died of AIDS in 1990, and this one-page comic is an homage to him.
Another ACT UP slogan was “Action = Life”. Jay embraced that sentiment with gusto, and used to wear this t-shirt any excuse he got.
I love the way this piece keeps the magic of Kieth Haring alive. It has that energy and joy I felt when I first encountered his art.
Haring changed the trajectory of pop art while still in his 20s, and was an icon of 1980s queer art. All I can do is reflect what he did.