Galerie Watari Exhibition Tokyo Poster
Galerie Watari Exhibition Tokyo Poster
Unsigned Print
Keith Haring
£750-£1,100Value Indicator
$1,550-$2,250 Value Indicator
$1,400-$2,050 Value Indicator
¥7,500-¥10,500 Value Indicator
€850-€1,250 Value Indicator
$8,000-$11,500 Value Indicator
¥150,000-¥220,000 Value Indicator
$1,000-$1,500 Value Indicator
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68 x 51cm, Edition of 1000, Lithograph
AAGR (5 years) This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
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Meaning & Analysis
Galerie Watari Exhibition Tokyo Poster is an unsigned lithograph by Keith Haring, produced in 1989 in an unnumbered edition of 1000. This poster was designed by as part of Haring's first solo exhibition at Galerie Watari in Tokyo, Japan in 1983. The artwork depicts a scene of conflict between a human figure riding a dolphin and a spaceship sending a stream of red electric rays on earth.
Outlined in bold black contours evocative of the aesthetic of graffiti, such potent symbols as dolphins, barking dogs or crawling babies gave Haring a point of entry into contemporary debates about social equality, politics, and the abuse of power. Through his art and activism alike, Haring represented a non-conformist stance on the topics ranging from racism, homophobia to nuclear annihilation.
While the mammal supports the human subject in its fight against the alien force, their relationship can also be seen as one defined by subjugation. Including straight lines around the dolphins’ head to connote screaming, the poster raises questions around exploitation, authority, and power. Placed at the very bottom of the poster is a line of small-sized crawling babies. Imbued with notions of life and innocence, the subtly inserted symbol creates contrast with the scene of violence.
Keith Haring was a luminary of the 1980s downtown New York scene. His distinctive visual language pioneered one-line Pop Art drawings and he has been famed for his colourful, playful imagery. Haring's iconic energetic motifs and figures were dedicated to influencing social change, and particularly challenging stigma around the AIDS epidemic. Haring also pushed for the accessibility of art by opening Pop Shops in New York and Japan, selling a range of ephemera starting from as little as 50 cents. Haring's legacy has been cemented in the art-activism scene and is a testament to power of art to inspire social change