Skarstedt announces an exhibition of work by American artist Keith Haring, at their Chelsea gallery this March. The exhibition uniquely presents 5 major works on canvas, all at a monumental scale and dating from 1984-1985, exposing a lesser-known side to the iconic artist. "Keith Haring: Heaven and Hell" is on view at Skarstedt (550 W. 21st Street) through April 18, 2015.
The exhibition’s title, "Heaven and Hell," recalls William Blake’s 18th century poem The Marriage of Heaven and Hell—a study in opposites of good and evil, angels and devils. As William Blake wrote, “Without contraries is no progression.” Haring similarly examined the duality between two sides of contemporary life in his 1984-1985 paintings. The apparent antagonism and struggle between the figures is one of the key features of Haring’s art.
