Tuesday, August 12th, 2008
Haring Replicia Gets an Original Treatment
Standing on the corner of Houston St. and Bowery in NYC, one can see this large replica of a 1982 Keith Haring mural. The piece was commissioned by the Keith Haring Foundation and Deitch Projects this past May, to commemorate the late artist’s 50th birthday. In the process however, an ever-evolving hot spot for taggers was covered up by the $30,000 project – until now. Recently, graffiti artist and former Haring collaborator, LA II decided to make his own additions to the replicated wall, spray painting in all the negative spaces with identifying tags and clusters of simple lines, much in the style and spirit of Haring.
The act was done as part homage and part protest. As a teenager, LA II, whose real name is Angel Ortiz, collaborated with Haring on many works. Despite the well documented relationship, Ortiz claims the Haring Foundation has continually denied him proper credit and licensing royalties for the art he helped create. In a New York Times article dated August 5th, Ortiz said “wanted to show the foundation: This is LA II, this is how it all started.”
The Foundation’s take on the situation is quite different, asserting Ortiz “was compensated for all the work he did with Keith Haring in Keith Haring’s lifetime.” As for their official stance on the additions to the mural, the message has come off somewhat mixed. The Times quotes executive director of the Keith Haring Foundation, Julia Guen, saying Ortiz was “respectful” in his modifications to the wall. However, in an article in The Villager, Gruen stated, “hell it was a little disappointing…We were hopeful it would not get tagged. LA seems to have some sort of beef with the foundation.”
Despite the ongoing controversy, one thing we do feel sure of is that the modified mural is certainly more interesting than the original replica. More after the jump, click pics for larger images.
Before and After….
10 Responses to “Haring Replicia Gets an Original Treatment”
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April 26th, 2009 at 4:04 am
Recent Links Tagged With "haring" - JabberTags said:
[…] public links >> haring Haring Replicia Gets an Original Treatment Saved by silver on Wed 08-4-2009 Kid Yamamoto channels Keith Haring Saved by cdimicelli on Tue […]
July 9th, 2009 at 3:06 am
the art collectors » Os Gemeos New York Mural – Day1 said:
[…] were invited by Deitch Projects to create a public mural at now former site of the replicated Keith Haring wall. The project is still in its beggining stages, with today marking the first full day of […]
July 23rd, 2009 at 10:49 am
Os Gemeos on Bowery/Houston NYC « daydreampilot said:
[…] Keith Haring tribute mural. It was drowned by tags and graffiti for many years, but it was recently resurrected and stood strong. But a week ago, it was replaced by the brazilian duo Os Gemeos, known for their […]
November 4th, 2009 at 7:42 am
the art collectors » Haring Replicia Gets an Original Treatment | OfficeStall.Com said:
[…] Read more: the art collectors » Haring Replicia Gets an Original Treatment […]
August 30th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
the art collectors » Accidents Will Happen :: Barry McGee Hits Houston Street said:
[…] clearly not knowing what to make of the Tony Goldman sanctioned property previously occupied by a Ketih Haring replica, a meticulously illustrated mural by Os Gemeos and the design heavy graphics of Shepard Fairey. No, […]
November 30th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
Kenny Scharf Mural on Houston Street Wall said:
[…] Houston and Bowery in New York City that is curated by Hole Gallery. Previously the wall featured a tribute to Keith Haring followed by art by Os Gemeos, Shepard Fairey and Barry […]
November 30th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Kenny Scharf Mural on Houston Street Wall | The Wall Street Geek said:
[…] in New York’s Lower East Side that is curated by Hole Gallery. Previously the wall featured a tribute to Keith Haring, followed by art by Os Gemeos, Shepard Fairey and Barry […]
June 26th, 2011 at 3:47 pm
JR Paints New Mural on Houston & Bowery Wall said:
[…] paint the famed mural on the corner of Houston and Bowery in New York City. The wall has featured a tribute to Keith Haring, plus art by Os Gemeos, Shepard Fairey, Barry McGee and Kenny […]
June 26th, 2011 at 4:36 pm
JR Is The Latest Artist To Create A Mural on Houston & Bowery Wall | LED World said:
[…] create a mural on the corner of Houston and Bowery in New York City. The famed wall has featured a tribute to Keith Haring, plus art by Os Gemeos, Shepard Fairey, Barry McGee and Kenny […]
June 26th, 2011 at 5:40 pm
JR Is The Latest Artist To Create A Mural on Houston & Bowery Wall | The Wall Street Geek said:
[…] create a mural on the corner of Houston and Bowery in New York City. The famed wall has featured a tribute to Keith Haring, plus art by Os Gemeos, Shepard Fairey, Barry McGee and Kenny […]