Reviews

Melding graffiti, pop art and archetypal symbolism, Keith Haring's semiabstract human torsos, ``radiant babies'' and dogs gave street art unusual depth and popular appeal. Raised in a Pennsylvania Dutch farm town, Haring became a Jesus freak, a druggie and a hippie by age 15, and, in the Manhattan art world, a rebel consumed by restless energy and a thirst for celebrity. His death from AIDS in 1990 at age 31 left unresolved the debate over whether his art is ephemeral or lasting. Consisting entirely of transcripts of interviews with Haring, his parents, sisters, teachers, colleagues, lovers and art dealers, this pastiche reads like preliminary notes for a biography. Kenny Scharf, Timothy Leary, Madonna, Yoko Ono, Francesco Clemente, Roy Lichtenstein and William Burroughs are among the interviewees. Their appreciations of Haring and his kinetic art are eloquent and touching. Some 100 plates (most in color) are sprinkled throughout. Gruen's books include The New Bohemia. (Oct.)

Gruen tells the fascinating story of Haring, from his phenomenal rise on the international art scene as graffiti artist extraordinaire, whose ``radiant child'' became a worldwide symbol of the Eighties pop culture, to his tragic death from AIDS at the age of 31. The book focuses on Haring's creative talent--including sculpture, painting, murals, and graphic art projects--and on his compulsive work habits, tracing his progress from concept to installation of one-man shows in Australia, Japan, France, and Monaco, among others. His life and work are seen through personal and candid interviews with the artist, members of his family, friends, and celebrities, including William Burroughs, Timothy Leary, Madonna, and Princess Caroline. This shocking, graphic, and entertaining biography, however, depicts life in the fast lane, New York style, with its all-too-familiar components of celebrity, drugs, and sex. Recommended.-- Stephen Allan Patrick, East Tennessee State Univ. Lib., Johnson City