Painting of the week - Mural by Keith Haring

Keith Haring, Mural (I don't know if it has an official name), 1984
Collingwood Technical College, Melbourne
(Source)

One of the most famous artists of the 20th century, Keith Haring was originally from Pennsylvania but studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York. He was subsequently influenced by the graffiti seen in the clubs, streets, and subways of the city and developed a very distinctive style comprising of bold lines and cartoon-like figures on plain coloured backgrounds. As with the graffiti influence, much of Haring's work took the form of mural paintings in public places.

On the cusp of international celebrity in 1984, Haring visited Melbourne (woooh!) where he completed a number of murals around the city. This famous one is located on the east-facing wall of Collingwood Technical College on Johnston St which is clearly visible from the street. At two storeys high, it is one of the last remaining murals of that size left in the world, and features the 'moving' characters of Haring's style. I'm not sure what the caterpillar with the computer on it's head is meant to represent :P Given its age and location, the mural has naturally started to deteriorate, but I remember it being nominated for preservation and undergoing some sort of conservation (not restoration) work a few years ago.

Haring died in 1990, aged 31, of an AIDS-related condition.